(Infographics from #RealNumbers Facebook page)
MANILA – More than 10,000 drug 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 Friday.
Based on the latest Real Numbers data, a total of 10,488 HVTs were arrested from July 1, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2020.
The figure includes 4,213 HVTs arrested from high impact operations, 3,034 target-listed suspects, 1,004 drug den maintainers, 747 drug group leaders/members, 438 government employees, 356 elected officials, 283 foreigners, 229 included on wanted lists, 102 uniformed personnel, 66 armed group members and 16 prominent personalities.
Authorities also arrested 259,296 individuals involved in illegal drugs during the period.
As of September, the consolidated report showed that 5,903 drug suspects have died during 178,616 anti-illegal drug operations.
From July 2016 to September 2020, authorities also arrested 3,354 minors. This can be broken down into 1,888 pushers; 888 possessors; 391 users; 163 visitors of drug den; nine drug den maintainers; 11 drug den employees, two cultivators, one clan lab employee, and a runner.
Authorities dismantled a total of 615 drug dens and 17 are clandestine shabu laboratories from July 2016 to September 2020.
Various types of illegal drugs worth PHP54.02 billion were seized and this amount includes PHP44.22 billion worth of shabu.
At least 20,289 out of the 42,04 barangays (villages) have been declared drug-cleared as of September 30.
These barangays have reached drug-cleared status after the issuance of a certification by members of the Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug-Clearing Program.
The agency assured that the health and safety of its agents are prioritized in anti-drug operations.
Earlier, PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva said the 'Barangay PDEA' program aims to promote a "balanced and humane" anti-drug campaign as it provides the public a more comprehensive platform of information on the harm reduction initiatives of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP) like the Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program and Balay Silangan, both drug intervention programs for surrendering drug users and pushers to help them re-integrate in the society and become productive citizens.
Villanueva also vowed to go after village chiefs who fail to establish their own barangay drug abuse councils (BADACs).
Villanueva said PDEA, as the lead agency against illegal drugs, has adopted a three-pronged strategy in the national anti-drug campaign which focuses on reducing its supply, demand, and harmful effects.
The agency has created a Barangay Drug Clearing Program Working Group for Monitoring and Validation to fast-track drug-clearing operations in the communities and prevent the proliferation of illegal drugs in the barangays. (PNA)
