Illegal drugs

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

Without a doubt, the Cordillera and parts of the Ilocos Region are still the top marijuana-growing areas of the country, even as the illegal business of shabu is thriving, basing from a report of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Since the start of the year, five hashish (a derivative of marijuana) manufacturing areas were raided in the Cordillera. Some  “156.81 million worth of marijuana from 12 plantations were also reportedly burned  by lawmen in Mt. Bitulayungan, Tinglayan, Kalinga on June 18 to 22.

Marijuana plants worth P3.75 million pesos were also seized in other parts of the region while five sacks of the illegal drugs were seized by agents and police officers on April 8 at a chayote plantation in Shilan, La Trinidad, Benguet.

From July last year to June this year, drug busters in the Cordillera reportedly reduced P426,185,675.35 worth of marijuana, shabu and regulated drugs from the global drug supply.

From July last year to date, P425,533,753.96 worth of the seized dangerous drugs were marijuana; P395,921 worth were shabu while the remaining P256,000 worth were regulated or controlled drugs, or dangerous drugs with accepted medical use.

The seized marijuana were comprised of 1,610,627 full-grown plants; 558.19 kilos of dried stalk or fruiting top; 413,070 seedlings; 288.81 kilos leaves, 276.38 kg in in bricks, 118.40 kilos seed and 88.31 grams hashish.

The seized “controlled” drugs were 6,400 tablets of Valium. For shabu, 68.32 grams were confiscated.

According to the PDEA report, the prevention of these drugs from entering the illegal drug market and finding their way to vulnerable victims was a result of 169 intelligence operations and 136 anti-drug operations.

The anti-drug operations were composed of 48 buy-busts or entrapments, 48 searches and seizures, 31 marijuana eradications, five warranted arrests and four warranted searches.

Operations likewise led to the arrest of two cultivators, 43 possessors, 70 pushers, six traffickers and nine users of dangerous drugs, or a total of 130 arrested persons; in which 116 of them were aged 18 years and above, while the other 14 are minors. Also, 113 were males and 17 were females.

Eight of the arrested drug law violators were in the target list of drug personalities in the region, in which seven were top priority targets, where three were also members of local drug groups.

Three of the apprehended drug violators were in the wanted list, one in the watch list and 118 newly identified drug personalities.

Nine vehicles were impounded too during the 131 anti-drug operations. Ten weapons, 23 communication equipment and two drug paraphernalia were likewise confiscated as non-drug evidence.

The 31 marijuana eradication operations in Cordillera from July 2012 to June 2013 had caused the wiping out of 293 plantations.

Of these, 12.79 hectares of the marijuana cultivation sites were eradicated in Benguet, 7.68 hectares in Kalinga, 1.94 hectares in Mountain Province and 1.47 in Ifugao.

The arrested two cultivators during the period were caught in two separate eradication operations in Kibungan, Benguet.

Moreover, from the period of July 2012 to June 2013, 108 drug cases were filed throughout the region. 95 of these were already elevated to the Regional Trial Court, whereas the remaining 13 are still at the Office of the City or Provincial Prosecutor. Of the 95 cases, 84 are still pending and eleven were already decided.

Sixty nine of the 108 drug cases were filed, in Baguio City, 15 cases in Abra, and 12 each in Benguet and Kalinga. No drug case was filed in Mountain Province, Ifugao and Apayao for the period.

The PDEA-Cordillera also referred two cases to the Anti-money Laundering Council for possible freezing and forfeiture of assets and financial investigation.

The PDEA said 38 drug cases, which were tried in  Baguio City and in Regional Trial Courts in Cordillera, had been concluded with “guilty” verdicts for the period.

Along with these were conviction of 40 drug law violators, wherein 22 of them were involved with shabu and the other 18 with marijuana.

Of the 38 conviction drug cases, seven were filed this year and 11 last year. Eleven cases were filed in 2011, another seven in 2010; one in 2009 and one in 1989.

A pharmacy and a hospital in the region were also fined for acquiring regulated drugs from unlicensed operators.

Both PDEA-registered clients were separately imposed with penalties, for procuring 50 ampules of Midazolam Hydrochloride and eleven vials of Ketamine from unaccredited sources, respectively.

Similarly, seven reprimands were issued to errant PDEA-registered clients—five for late submission of semi-annual report and two for physicians who violated the conditions of an S2-license.

For the period, 94 S-2 licenses for doctors prescribing or administering dangerous drugs, 49 S-Licenses for entities handling dangerous drugs, and twelve P-Licenses for establishments handling CPECs had been processed.

Some 131,515 individuals, mostly youth and community leaders, have reportedly been trained against drug abuse, and illegal cultivation or manufacture, transport, distribution, prescription and sale of dangerous drugs in 680 in schools, barangays and workplaces.

Complementing these drug demand reduction efforts were numerous film shows, photo exhibits, mass media interviews or exposures, Memoranda of agreement were also reportedly forged among stakeholders.