THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is going to look into the incidents of illegal drugs being shipped into Negros Occidental through various sea ports, its official said Monday, June 20.
Its spokesperson, Commodore Armand Balilo, said the PCG is getting its cue from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), as they are the ones involved in the intelligence works pertaining to illegal drugs shipment.
"Strict security measures will still be in place to prevent entrance of illegal drugs and other contrabands in the sea ports and coastal areas (in the province)," he said.
But Balilo admitted that they cannot assign more personnel at the seaports and coastlines of Negros Occidental as they have limited resources.
"We are managing and focusing on the areas where there is a dire need to add personnel," the PCG official said, adding that the personnel are reshuffled every once in a while.
Millions worth of shabu have been recovered in the past few months, especially in the cities of San Carlos, Escalante and Bacolod where three of the busiest seaports in the province are located.
Meanwhile, Balilo said the proposal of Bacolod Mayor-elect Alfredo Benitez to put up body scanners at the sea ports in the city is a welcome development.
It will help a lot in the detection of contrabands if there are any, he added.