THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Wednesday partnered with the Philippine Ports Authority to renew their alliance to curb the trafficking of illegal drugs and controlled chemicals through the country’s seaports.
PDEA director-general Aaron Aquino and PPA general manager Jay Daniel Santiago signed an agreement to hold regular meetings and dialogues to improve their cooperation, coordination, and expedition of the prosecution of personalities involved in drug-related cases in the seaports.
“Under the agreement, the two parties are enjoined to continue utmost cooperation and coordination to conduct an intensive and unrelenting campaign against drug smuggling, while encompassing the organized and systematic implementation of both the anti-drug and ports laws,” Aquino said.
The arrangement is an extension of a previous agreement between the two agencies signed on Nov. 7, 2012.
The new agreement included additional provisions prescribing PPA to provide office spaces for PDEA in the country’s major seaports.
“Under the agreement, PPA will establish offices for PDEA seaport interdiction units in 13 key PPA-controlled seaports nationwide, including K9 units and space for K9 kennels,” Aquino said.
“PDEA operatives assigned to the interdiction units will be involved in scrutiny of cargoes entering the country and will also sit beside the ports’ X-ray technicians to help in the detection of smuggled illegal drugs,” he added.
The Philippines has 7,107 islands and has one of the longest coastlines in the world, with over 60 percent of its population living along the coasts.
“Beside air travel, international drug trafficking organizations have to go by water to cover the Philippine drug market. Hence, the pact sealed between PDEA and PPA is a step forward in securing our waters from drug trafficking,” Aquino stressed.