“Drug lords may be in cahoots with ‘narco-politicians’ beefing up their campaign kitty for the 2022 elections.”
“Drug lords may be in cahoots with ‘narco-politicians’ beefing up their campaign kitty for the 2022 elections.”
The President has ordered an intensified anti-illegal narcotics drive following successive drug busts that netted billions worth of illegal substances in Zambales, Bataan and Cavite.
It’s appalling as it is impressive how massive the stockpiles of methamphetamine, commonly called as shabu, are sitting out there awaiting distribution as indicated by the volume of contraband confiscated.
“Nowadays, the seized illegal drugs are worth billions of pesos. It is seldom mentioned that the drugs are worth millions. We are now talking about billions of pesos,” Digong said.
Last Thursday, government agents killed two suspected drug dealers and seized P1.58 billion worth of shabu in simultaneous raids in Imus and Bacoor in Cavite.
Earlier on Tuesday, members of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Customs also conducted a drug operation in Quezon, Zambales and Bataan, confiscating more than P3.4 billion worth of shabu.
The operation also resulted in the killing of four Chinese nationals, including Youhua Xu, whom the President said was a member of a drug ring in Southeast Asia and has ties with Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel.
Never before in previous administrations has the government accomplished as much as Digong’s drug war, but not without paying a high price.
Just after mounting a successful buy-bust operation, two anti-drugs police operatives were killed in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija last Friday.
P/Brig. Gen. Valeriano De Leon, Director of Philippine National Police-Regional Police Office-3 (PNP-RPO-3), identified the two cops as P/SSG Allan Capinpin and P/SSG Aries Dichoso.
Gen. De Leon said the two were planning a follow-up operation when ambushed by a group of gunmen in Capinpin’s house in Magsaysay Sur, Cabanatuan City shortly before midnight.
A day earlier, the duo led a buy-bust operation that resulted in the confiscation of P652,800 worth of shabu and the arrest of three suspects in Sangitan West, Cabanatuan City.
The PNP-RPO-3 chief vowed justice for the slain policemen and ordered an intensified manhunt on the suspects, believed to be members of a well-organized drugs syndicate with international connection.
“We will spare no one of those involved in the murders of our two operatives. We will make sure the aggrieved families of Staff Sergeants Capinpin and Dichoso will get justice for their supreme sacrifice,” Gen. De Leon said.
Gen. De Leon said they are not discounting the involvement of drug lords in an unholy alliance with some “narco-politicians” who are beefing up their election campaign funds from illegal drugs sales.
“We have lost quite a number of policemen in the drugs war and we pay home to them by continuing on the fight against the drug menace,” Gen. De Leon said.
But he also noted that an important part of the drug war is weeding out the PNP of scalawag policemen employed by the drug syndicates.
In another buy-bust sting, PNP-RPO-3 anti-illegal drugs operatives arrested one policeman and two others in Gerona, Tarlac Province.
Gen. De Leon said summary dismissal, as well as, criminal charges will be pressed against P/Cpl. Geymar Orquero of the Tarlac City Police Station.
“Maging kabaro man, tatablahin namin. Kung pulis ka at nahuli kang sangkot sa iligal na droga, game over ka na,” Gen. De Leon stressed.
It is unfortunate that quite a number of policemen are tempted by the drug money, which indicates how lucrative the global narcotics business is.
“Undoubtedly we’re dealing with organized crime with international connections, which means the drug problem is pandemic just like COVID-19,” Gen. De Leon said.
Digong himself had admitted illegal drugs are here to stay long after he finished his term, that is why he has decided to run as Vice President.
He vowed to carry on a “relentless and chilling” drug war when he becomes VP and possibly run for reelection as allowed by Law.
With reputable surveys repeatedly showing the people’s high satisfaction with Digong’s drugs war, he couldn’t care less about the much-ballyhooed investigation by the International Criminal Court.