THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) awarded on Monday P4.6 million to 10 informants who provided information that led to the arrest of high profile drug personalities as well as to the dismantling of several illegal drug laboratories.
The informants, who received a total cash reward of P4,691,467.50 through the Operation: Private Eye (OPE), were identified by their codenames Axcel, Noy, Tolendoy, Paulo, Abel, Brix, Coleen Sarmiento, Cold Ice, Ice and Jun.
They were wearing face masks during the ceremony led by PDEA chief Arturo Cacdac for the protection of their identity.
Jun received the biggest reward of P1,929,889.61 for the information he provided the PDEA Regional Offices 2 and National Capital Region that resulted in the dismantling of a large-scale clandestine shabu laboratory, the seizure of 260.25 kilograms of shabu and 24 kilograms of ephedrine, the arrest of five suspects allegedly involved in illegal drugs activities in Barangay Newagac, Gattaran, Cagayan on February 26.
Ice received P693,130.34 cash award for the tip he gave the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force that led to the recovery of 38.65 kilograms of shabu and the arrest of one drug personality during an airport interdiction operation in Barangay Sto. Niño, Parañaque City on January 5.
OPE is a reward and incentive scheme which urges private individuals to report any suspected illegal drug activities in their community for its elimination.
The OPE has a rewards committee who came from the academe, non-government organizations, law enforcement, religious and business sectors who decides if the certain informant in entitled of any reward.
“To fully encourage the participation of private citizens in the fight against illegal drugs, PDEA continues to give monetary rewards to deserving informants. With the increasing numbers of them coming out in the open to report illegal drug activities, soon we will have a vast network of eyes and ears in our communities,” Cacdac said. (Sunnex)