WHAT happens when coastal security is treated as an afterthought?
For Western Visayas, and Iloilo in particular, the recent seizure of 120 kilos of shabu in Calapan, Mindoro — allegedly destined for Iloilo via roll on, roll off ship — points to a vulnerability that drug syndicates are clearly exploiting: weak and inconsistent monitoring of our shorelines.
Despite having some of the most strategic maritime routes in the country, Iloilo and the wider region remain grossly under-equipped to defend their coastlines. While major seaports and highways are routinely guarded, the vast network of beaches, coves, and fishing ports remains largely unmonitored. The region’s very geography — long considered an economic advantage — is now being used against it.
This is not just a theory. The suspect in the Calapan bust was from Oton, Iloilo — a coastal municipality barely 11 kilometers from the capital city. Authorities confirmed he had been under surveillance for some time, but never viewed as a major player. That someone under watch could move P816 million worth of narcotics via sea should be a wake-up call for both national and local authorities.
It also raises a damning question: Why, despite years of anti-drug campaigns, do our coastal defenses remain this porous?
The answer lies in the absence of sustained investment in maritime security. Bantay Dagat teams, often composed of volunteers, are expected to safeguard vast stretches of coastline with minimal support. Their primary mandate remains illegal fishing, yet they are now being asked to watch for drug smugglers too — with no additional resources, training, or equipment. That is neither fair nor effective.
National policymakers must recognize that maritime drug trafficking is no longer a peripheral issue — it is central to the syndicates’ operations. But have our policy responses evolved at the same pace?
Iloilo, as a regional hub, cannot afford to be reactive. Local government units must press for increased funding, support the capacity-building of coastal monitoring groups, and push for the integration of real-time surveillance technologies. Equally important is community engagement. Barangays in coastal areas must be empowered, educated, and incentivized to act as the first line of defense.
The Calapan drug bust may not have physically occurred in Iloilo, but it has exposed our region’s Achilles’ heel. The cost of continued inattention will not just be measured in kilos of seized narcotics — it will be felt in broken communities, surging addiction rates, and lives lost to an enemy that arrived by sea, undetected.
We cannot continue to patrol the shorelines of Western Visayas with blindfolds on.
