Pubdate: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 Source: Philippine Star (Philippines) Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2005 Contact: http://www.philstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622 Author: Non Alquitran Cited: Philippine National Police http://www.pnp.gov.ph Cited: Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency http://www.pdea.gov.ph Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?236 (Corruption - Outside U.S.) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) 'ALL DRUG CASES SHOULD LEAD TO CONVICTION' The goal of the police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AID-SOTF) this year is for all arrested members of big-time drug syndicates and drug pushers to rot in jail. The battlecry of the AID-SOTF as it intensifies the war against drug syndicates is "We will make arrests in order to convict." AID-SOTF chief Deputy Director General Ricardo de Leon admitted that making drug arrests and seizure of raw materials and equipment used in the manufacture of shabu are the easy part in the police's anti-drug operations. "Body counts are nothing if our arrests would not lead to eventual conviction. The real battle is in the courtrooms. All our actions should therefore be geared towards that battle," said De Leon in his directive to all AID-SOTF officials and operatives. He said they will accomplish their mission through proper coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) headed by Undersecretary Anselmo Avenido. In his directive, De Leon warned AID-SOTF operating units that their performance would be gauged based on conviction of arrested drug peddlers and pushers. De Leon is hoping that their goal would help rid rampant cases of bangketa, kidnapping, hulidap and extortion cases perpetrated by anti-drug operatives. "We were tagged as the most corrupt institution in the country by an international survey group and this conviction scheme of ours was geared to address such problem," he added. The AID-SOTF chief said they are also conducting an in-house cleansing among its 100 rank-and-file to weed out the undesirables. He vowed that AID-SOTF personnel found positive for drug use in random drug tests conducted by the agency would be sent to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Reform and Values School at the Subic Freeport for a 30-day training. "Those hooked on drugs should be included in the TABA (Tamad, Abusado, Bastos at Ayaw Padisiplina) cops list," he said. In his first directive for 2005, PNP chief Director General Edgar Aglipay, who formerly heads AID-SOTF, placed the agency under his command through Letter of Instruction 1-05 "Kontra Droga". The AID-SOTF last year neutralized 11 clandestine shabu laboratories and 10 storage facilities nationwide in its bid to further reduce the shabu supply in the country. Before the year ended, AID-SOTF and the PDEA busted shabu laboratories in Bulacan, Bataan and Davao. Confiscated were at least P25.3 billion worth of shabu precursors, essential chemicals and various laboratory equipment. Of the 26,993 identified drug pushers and users under the PDEA watchlist last year, 19,318 drug offenders were arrested, 40 percent of whom were from Metro Manila, 20 percent from Southern Tagalog, eight percent from Central Luzon and Central Visayas and the remaining 24 percent from the country's 13 other regions. A total of 15,595 cases were filed against those arrested in various courts nationwide. However, the AID-SOTF chief noted that since peddling illegal drugs is a highly profitable activity, for every drug pusher arrested there are new dealers or players that would take his place in the drug market. Aggressive Police Action "Clearly, aggressive police action alone is not the end-all of the anti-drug campaign. The supply reduction effort should be complemented by a sustained demand reduction effort," said De Leon. The AID-SOTF chief admitted that the barangay clearing effort remains the centerpiece of their demand reduction strategy. There are 3,918 drug-affected barangays nationwide and AID-SOTF was only able to clear some 2,735 barangays of the drug menace. "Again, due to the very dynamic nature of the drug trade, as we clear one drug-affected barangay and move on to clear the next barangay, the wily drug traders find ways to re-infiltrate the cleared barangays," said De Leon, as he called for the active participation of the community in the war against illegal drugs. "It is therefore imperative that all sectors of the community are enlisted in the fight against illegal drugs so that we can effectively insulate the barangays from the re-entry of drug pushers and users," he stressed. However, a total of 171 local drug groups responsible for the supply of illegal drugs in drug-affected barangays have been neutralized. De Leon said AID-SOTF would strengthen its counter-intelligence operations to maintain zero-tolerance against policemen involved not only in illegal drugs but also in extortion cases. This was initiated by Aglipay when he was still the head of the PNP unit. The AID-SOTF chief boasted that he no report linking his men to bangketa and hulidap cases has been received by his office since he assumed post since last September. This year, AID-SOTF would also strengthen the city or municipal anti-drug abuse councils, using the Makati Anti-drug abuse council as its model, and maximize tie-ups with non-government organizations (NGOs), business, religious and civic leaders. It also intends to work closely with its foreign counterparts in the area of skills build up and information sharing. De Leon said AID-SOTF would remain important and relevant. "We are assigned at AID-SOTF to help solve the drug problem, not to be part of the problem," he said. "We must remain focused on the job, and be strong so that we will not be devoured by the syndicates we are up against." AID-SOTF, he stressed, would continue with the tradition of excellence that the Task Force has started under Aglipay. - ---