Over 24K villages 'drug-cleared' as of February: PDEA

By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan

March 30, 2022, 3:34 pm

<p>PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva <em>(Photo courtesy of PDEA)</em></p>

PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva (Photo courtesy of PDEA)

MANILA – More than 24,000 barangays across the country have been cleared from illegal drugs since the start of the Duterte administration's crackdown on banned drugs in mid-2016.

Based on the latest Real Numbers data released by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Wednesday, a total of 24,379 out of the 42,045 barangays (villages) have been declared drug-cleared while 6,606 barangays were drug unaffected/drug-free barangays and 11,060 have yet to be cleared of illegal drugs as of February 2022.

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.

Authorities have seized a total of PHP76.01 billion worth of narcotics across the country since the start of the Duterte administration's crackdown on illegal drugs in mid-2016.

The amount includes PHP63.46 worth of shabu.

Authorities have seized 8,170.51 kilograms (kg.) of shabu, 4,205.76 kgs of marijuana, 22.56 kg. of ecstasy, 534.20 kg. of cocaine, and 3,483.04 kg. of other dangerous drugs while dismantling a total of 1,057 drug dens and 18 clandestine shabu laboratories from July 2016 to February 2022.

A total of 14,648 high-value targets across the country were arrested since the anti-illegal drugs campaign was launched on July 1, 2016.

The figure includes 6,482 HVTs arrested from high impact operations, 4,018 target-listed suspects, 1,556 drug den maintainers, 797 drug group leaders/members, 525 government employees, 398 elected officials, 353 foreigners, 291 included on wanted lists, 126 uniformed personnel, 78 armed group members and 24 prominent personalities.

Authorities also arrested 331,694 individuals involved in illegal drugs during the period.

As of February this year, the consolidated report showed 6,235 drug suspects have died during 229,868 anti-illegal drug operations.

From July 2016 to February 2022, authorities also arrested 4,230 minors. This can be broken down into 2,532 pushers; 987 possessors; 445 users; 234 visitors of drug dens; nine drug den maintainers; 17 drug den employees, three cultivators, one clan lab employee, and two runners.

According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the rescued minors, after court proceedings, will be turned over to the Bahay Pag-asa centers of LGUs within eight hours of police custody, before turning them over to the DSWD.

Since they are minors, the DSWD said they would not be put behind bars together with hardened criminals.

These rescued minors will be turned over after court proceedings to the Bahay Pag-asa centers of LGUs within eight hours of police custody, before turning them over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development. (PNA)

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