(Infographic from Real Numbers Facebook page)
MANILA – More than 9,000 high-value targets (HVTs) across the country have been arrested since the start of the Duterte administration's crackdown on illegal drugs in mid-2016, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said on Thursday.
Based on infographics posted on the #RealNumbersPH Facebook page, PDEA spokesperson Derrick Carreon said a total of 9,350 HVTs were arrested from July 1, 2016 to May 31, 2020.
The figure includes 3,680 HVTs arrested from high impact operations, 2,697 target-listed suspects, 735 drug group leaders/members, 376 government employees, 320 elected officials, 261 foreigners, 217 included on wanted lists, 90 uniformed personnel, 62 armed group members and 10 prominent personalities.
Authorities also arrested 245,135 individuals involved in illegal drugs during the said period.
As of May 2020, the consolidated report showed that 5,722 drug suspects have died during 168,525 anti-illegal drug operations.
From July 2016 to May 2020, authorities also arrested 3,160 minors. This can be broken down into 1,760 pushers; 846 possessors; 380 users; 152 visitors of drug den; eight drug den maintainers; 11 drug den employees, two cultivators, and a runner.
Authorities also dismantled a total of 546 drug dens and 14 are clandestine shabu laboratories from July 2016 to May 2020.
Various types of illegal drugs worth PHP43.58 billion were seized and this amount includes PHP34.18 billion worth of shabu.
At least 18,582 out of the 42,045 barangays (villages) have been declared drug-cleared as of May 31, 2020.
Meanwhile, a total of 15,388 barangays have yet to be cleared of illegal drugs.
On Wednesday, PDEA created a working group to closely monitor the nationwide implementation of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP) designed to curb the proliferation of illegal drugs in communities.
PDEA Director General Villanueva said the creation of PDEA BDCP Working Group for Monitoring and Validation (PB-WMV) is in response to the marching order of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for the agency to conduct regular and periodic assessment of the program to clear barangays of illegal drugs by 2022. (PNA)
