THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is planning to deploy more personnel in sea ports nationwide.
PDEA Director General Isidro Lapeña, during his visit in Bacolod City last Friday, said the agency will put up a sea port interdiction task group to intensify the monitoring of the possible entry of contrabands in ports.
“This is a necessity in our campaign against illegal drugs,” Lapeña said, adding that it will also prevent routes to be used as passage ways of drug suppliers.
The task group will coordinate with the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Ports Authority, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Customs (BOC), and other law enforcement agencies.
The lead agency tasked to monitor illegal drugs is PDEA. The BOC is assigned for inspection of taxable items, and the police in checking of explosives.
Lapeña believed that sources of illegal drugs are scattered around the country.
“Our main thrust is drug-clearing in villages because drugs are being distributed in barangays when it reaches a certain area,” Lapeña said. “If there is drug-clearing in villages, we will be able to track down sources and suppliers of illegal drugs.
Moreover, Lapeña said the PDEA is also eyeing to put up provincial offices to expand their services and later on, in the city and municipal levels.
“This is our move to establish our presence as it should be,” he added.
If the proposal pushes through, the PDEA will need 1,600 agents to be placed in different provincial offices nationwide, Lapeña said.
It will be a 15-man team in highly-urbanized cities and five districts in Metro Manila, he added.
