AN ANTI-NARCOTICS agent in Northern Mindanao Region on Friday, October 13, said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) may not have enough men and resources to singularly prosecute the government’s war on drugs.
PDEA-Northern Mindanao agent Ben Calibre said existing funds and manpower may not be sufficient to carry out the expected increase of anti-illegal drug operations in the coming days.
He said adequate budget for the conduct of test buys, drug busts, transportation, and enough manpower such as employing additional informants will make the PDEA's future operations efficient and successful.
"Without enough resources and manpower, maglisod gyud mi sa anti-illegal drug campaign busa mas maayo unta madugangan kay expected namo modaghan among mga operations sa sunod nga mga adlaw," Calibre said.
The anti-narcotics agency has assured to implement the drug war effectively and satisfy the expectations of President Rodrigo Duterte and the public once sufficient resources and manpower are available.
The PDEA-Northern Mindanao has been making the most of its 40 agents at present.
Calibre also said new strategies for the implementation of the anti-illegal drugs campaign need to be framed which will complement existing resources and manpower.
"Paningkamotan gyud namo sa available nga resources kay naa man pud uban local government units ang nagtabang," Calibre said.
Officials at the PDEA-Northern Mindanao are worried that drugs may once again proliferate following the President’s directive to sideline the police in the drug war.
r"Usa sa among gikabalak-an nga basin mobalik ug magkumpyansa ang mga drug personalities. Bug-at ni nga trabaho pero maningkamot gyud mi kutob sa among makaya," Calibre said.