DAVAO CITY – Low supply and tight border security pushed the price of the illegal “shabu” in this city by as much as PHP16,000 per gram, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Davao Region (PDEA-11).
In an interview Tuesday, PDEA-11 spokesperson Noli Dimaandal said the supply of illegal drugs in the city has been "very low for quite some time" because “pushers” are finding it hard to enter the city.
“The collaboration of Task Force Davao (TFD) and the Philippine National Police at the city’s checkpoints make it hard for them to enter or pass by,” Dimaandal said.
The TFD and the Davao City Police Office confiscated some 1.1 kilograms of shabu valued at PHP18.2 million from two suspects at a checkpoint in Barangay Sirawan, Toril District last month.
Per the Dangerous Drug Board (DDB), the current street price of the illegal substance is PHP6,800 per gram.
Dimaandal said the huge difference between the DDB average price and that in the city can be attributed to the law of supply and demand.
“If the supply of goods outstrips demand, prices will fall. If demand exceeds supply, prices will rise,” he said, citing the economic theory.
Another factor for the low of supply of illegal drugs is the high engagement between law enforcement and community members, Dimaandal said.
PDEA-11 records showed that 937 out of 1,162 villages in the Davao Regions were evaluated as "drug-cleared."
A drug-cleared barangay was previously classified as drug affected, underwent Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP), and declared drug-cleared by the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing (ROCBDC).
On the other hand, a barangay is drug-free if it is unaffected as vetted and confirmed by ROCBDC.
“The community knows how to handle it. They are the ones who report illegal drug activities to the authorities,” he said. (PNA)
