PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is expecting that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) will have closer coordination, in a bid to end the "new modus" of international drug syndicates, Malacañang said Monday, August 13.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. noted that the international drug suppliers are becoming more "sophisticated" by using a new scheme that would enable their unlawful business to thrive in the Philippines.
Roque said no one could be blamed over the bulk shipment of illegal drugs, since the drug syndicates's latest strategy was not anticipated by the Philippine authorities.
"It shows na talagang sophisticated na 'yung ating mga kalaban dito sa giyera laban sa droga dahil ginagamit nila 'yung mga magnetic lifter na talaga namang kapag sa loob ng magnetic lifter, hindi makikita ng X-ray [ang illegal na droga]," he told a press conference.
(It shows that our enemies in the fight against illegal drugs are really sophisticated because they are using magnetic lifters. And the X-ray cannot track [illegal drugs] when it's inside the magnetic lifter.)
"Well, obviously po, ito'y mga bagong istratehiya. Sino namang mag-iisip na ipapasok iyan sa isang equipment na kapag nasa loob, hindi nga made-detect?" he added.
(Well, obviously, these are new strategies. Who would have thought that it will be undetected if you put it inside that equipment?)
On August 11, Lapeña admitted that an information gap between the BOC officials and the Pdea anti-drug operatives had resulted in the shipment of P6.8-billion worth of illegal drugs that slipped past the authorities last week.
Lapeña made the admission after the Pdea on August 9 discovered magnetic lifters with traces of illegal drugs at a warehouse in General Mariano Alvarez town in Cavite.
Also on August 7, authorities intercepted P4.3 billion worth of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) from the Manila International Container Port.
Roque stressed that the President still trusts Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña, as well as the Pdea, despite the multibillion-peso drug shipment that has slipped past the BOC.
He added that Duterte was more focused on going after the individuals who are behind the importation of illegal drugs in the country.
"So alam niya (Duterte) po ang pangyayari. May tiwala siya kay General Lapeña. May tiwala siya sa Pdea. Inaasahan niyang magkakaroon ng mas malapit na ugnayan ang Pdea at ang Bureau of Customs," the Palace official said.
(So he (Duterte) knows what's happening. He trusts General Lapeña. He trusts the Pdea. He is expecting closer coordination between the Pdea and the Bureau of Customs.)
"He wants to know the bottom of who's behind the importation. And of course, he's rearing to apply the full force of the law against those behind these importations. But it clearly shows that the problem has an international aspect because these are imports from other countries," he added.
Roque also maintained that Duterte's anti-narcotics drive would continue to be "relentless"
to curb the proliferation of illegal drugs.
"As far as apparently deterring international drug syndicates from importing, we've not made a dent. So we have to be relentless in continuing with our campaign and we need to discover who are really behind these importations and go after them," he said.
"But I can say, if kulang pa ang ating efforts, dadagdagan pa. Hahanapan natin kung sino talaga ang nag-iimport na iyan and we will deal with them accordingly."
(But I can say, if our efforts are not enough, we will exert more. We will find who are really importing [the illegal drugs] and we will deal with them accordingly.) (SunStar Philippines)