President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the new concept of the "bloodless war on drugs" is working.
On Tuesday, June 24, Marcos, together with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla Jr. and authorities from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), assessed the confiscated illegal substances from various parts of the country.
The substances were brought to the PDEA National Headquarters in Diliman, Quezon City, announcing that the recent operation marks the largest drug haul in Philippine history within six months.
In previous years, authorities have interdicted approximately P62 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride. However, during his speech, the President highlighted that this is the largest volume of seized illegal substances within three years.
“Ito ang bunga nung naging instruction ko sa ating mga awtoridad na dapat ay unahin nating tingnan kung saan pumapasok ang malalaking shipment ng droga. Medyo namo-monitor na rin natin, [at] nakikita na rin natin,” Marcos said.
Local fishermen discovered the drug floating in the waters across various provinces in Luzon, specifically, along Zambales, Pangasinan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and Cagayan. With their cooperation, the substances were immediately turned over to authorities, which then promoted joint operations with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other concerned agencies.
“Titiyakin natin ang proper disposal ng mga drogang ito para hindi babalik sa black market, [at] hindi babalik sa street market. Basta’t hindi na lalabas [dahil] sisirain na natin,” the President explained.
The substances will be taken to Capas, Tarlac, and will undergo chemical testing to verify the integrity of the seized drugs. It will eventually be destroyed through thermal decomposition along with the expired medications on Wednesday, June 25.
Meanwhile, Marcos also instructed authorities to be transparent to the public on the disposal procedure and proper testing.
“We must continue with the war against [illegal] drugs, but we do it in a peaceful way. It has been described as a bloodless war on drugs, and that is what we are aiming for,” Marcos stated.
“But nonetheless, despite the fact that we do not kill people that are just suspected of having anything to do with drugs—imbis na ganon ang ginagawa natin—we are handling the drug problem in a different way,” he added.
Part of Marcos’ “bloodless” war on drugs is the prevention and rehabilitation initiative. This is aligned with the administration’s continuous enforcement of all drug laws, including the implementation of the drug war against all syndicates.
"So, that is what we are continuing to do. We are hitting the drug trade at the highest level and at the lowest level. And we are beginning to see some measure of success. Kaya ipapagpatuloy natin ito,” he emphasized.
“The new concept of the war against drugs is working. So, we will continue down that vein. And I think we are beginning to see the good effects of that new policy," he concluded.
