Fentanyl an ‘emerging drug problem’ in Philippines —PDEA

Fentanyl is an “emerging drug problem” in the country, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said on Monday.

According to Maki Pulido’s Monday report on “24 Oras,” PDEA is still investigating the source for the supply of the powerful anti-pain medication, which is usually used to treat patients battling end-stage cancer.

“We are closely coordinating with our foreign counterparts para tulungan tayo [to help us] with information,” said PDEA Director General Moro Virgilio Lazo.

The Philippines remains the transshipment point for international illegal drug smuggling, Lazo said. Illicit drugs from Burma, Laos, and Thailand are being sold in Manila while the remaining supplies are smuggled to Europe, the US, Australia, and New Zealand.

From July 22, 2022, to April 3, 2023, more than P21 billion worth of illegal drugs and laboratory equipment were confiscated by the PDEA in its 32,000 drug operations. Over 27,000 barangays in the country are drug-free.

However, the PDEA official said the involvement of some police officers in the illegal drug trade remains a problem.

“We try to do our best also to get rid of these police officers who are involved. We were able to file charges,” he added.

Meanwhile, Project Rise—a group supporting the families of slain drug suspects—said only the poor are being targeted bythe “inhumane” drug operations.

“It’s inhumane because they target the poor. If there were people from the middle or upper class, ito ‘yung minalas,” said Fr. Flaviano Lopez Villanueva.

(It’s inhumane because they target the poor. If there were people from the middle or upper class, these are the ones who were unlucky.) — Sundy Locus/BM, GMA Integrated News