MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to uphold the integrity of anti-drug operations, emphasizing that the campaign must be intensified but remain lawful, peaceful, and humane.
The directive came as the President personally oversaw the destruction of more than P9.4 billion worth of illegal drugs at a waste management facility in Capas, Tarlac — an event highlighting his administration’s continuing, though markedly less violent, approach to the drug problem.
According to Presidential Communications Office’s Undersecretary Claire Castro, Marcos wants stricter anti-drug enforcement that does not sacrifice legality or human rights.
“Kaya ang utos ng Pangulo sa PDEA at PNP, siguraduhin ang integridad ng lahat ng operasyon mula buy-bust hanggang proper disposal,” Castro said in a press briefing at the Malacañang Palace.
“Maging mas listo upang maagapan ang pagkalat ng droga sa mga komunidad; paigtingin pa ang mga operasyon nguni’t panatilihing payapa, makatao at naaayon sa batas ang laban kontra-droga,” she added.
Among the destroyed contraband were 1,304 kilograms of shabu valued at P8.8 billion, much of which was recovered from the coastal waters of Zambales, Pangasinan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and Cagayan.
From July 1, 2022 to June 25, 2025, government operations have yielded P82.58 billion worth of illegal drugs, including 11,039 kilograms of shabu, based on PDEA data.
The agency also reported 271 drug suspects killed during the Marcos administration — markedly fewer than the 6,259 recorded under former President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial six-year drug war./PN
