Arresting the flow of drugs

Executive Order No. 218 entitled "Strengthening the Support Mechanism for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency" was signed by President Arroyo last 18th June 2003. This led to the activation of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task (AIDSOT) Force.

Since then more than P22-billion worth of shabu and ephedrine were seized, more than 35,000 drug offenders arrested and charged, 22 shabu factories and shabu warehouses raided and knocked out of operation. Yet everyone knows that illegal drugs keep on flowing into the market and users and pushers are still roaming in corridors of learning, places of business and entertainment and dark alleys.

During an interview by "Breaking Barriers" on IBC-TV 13, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Deputy Director General Edgar Aglipay, then head of the AIDSOT Force, pointed out one difficult aspect in the drive to spot production sites for illegal drugs.

Aglipay observed that in all of the clandestine shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) laboratories and warehouses apprehended over the last 14 months, what is disturbing is the denial by landlords of the rented bodegas or offices of any knowledge of illicit activities being conducted by the lessees.

While General Aglipay was generally satisfied with the present provisions of Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2001 it looks like an immediate revision is needed so that owners of commercial, business or even residential structures used in the manufacture or storage of dangerous drugs should be held liable for abetting the existence of criminal activities in their properties.

Considering that this P250-billion illegal drug business has already affected the productive lives of 3.5 million Filipinos, lessors have a moral obligation to ensure that their tenants are reputable and are not engaged in criminal activities by exercising periodic visitation rights to check on their premises.

Spotting Drug Lairs. General Aglipay also pointed out that through the various anti-illegal drugs task force operations, they acquired a wealth of information that could facilitate the pinpointing of production sites of illegal drugs.

Labs and warehouses are often buildings with high fences and gates, newly leased usually for a period of one year or less, and will exhibit minimal traffic of workers and vehicles. Likewise, those who work in the premises suspiciously display a paranoia and they do not mix or mingle with the local residents. Watch out for acid burns or discoloration on their arms. If they cannot speak Tagalog or any local dialect, you have a possible suspect.

Telltale Signs. Buildings where shabu are manufactured will frequently have giant smokestacks and huge exhaust systems. Nauseating odors emitted by the highly toxic chemicals are a dead giveaway. Because of the chemicals used, the roof is often easily corroded and the walls are stained. The floors are badly discolored and damaged by the potent acids. Even the vegetation around the vicinity of the manufacturing plant shows signs of chemical burns.

The PNP anti-drug task force has also listed other telltale signs: The presence of close circuit TV security cameras, imported mixers, dryers, pressure tanks, rotary evaporators, wooden crates containing bottles of thionyl chloride and acetone, ephedrine in sacks labeled as PVC resin, and activated carbon.

Other clues that the facility is being used as a drug laboratory is the delivery of huge quantities of bulk hydrogen gas, and high consumption of electricity and water. These bills are often paid by people other than those operating the plant.

Residents and local barangay officials should be vigilant and on the watch out for potential lairs of these illegal activities. Stamping out drug production or trading at the barangay level must be carried out by the citizenry itself, General Aglipay emphasized.

Plugging the Supply Line. Spotting and dismantling production facilities is one thing, but cutting the supply line of raw materials and stopping distribution of finished products into the market is another. As modern laboratories are dismantled, several crude cooking plants will sprout underground as long as raw materials for illegal drugs enter freely into the Philippines. And having one of the longest coastlines in the world with an inept, corrupt and ill-equipped guardians of our borders, make it that easy.

As long as there are people who will distribute and use them, the supply of illegal drugs will find its way into the market. A recent study made by the International Labor Organization (ILO) showed that many Filipino youths are driven to drug use and involvement in the illegal drug trade due to the high unemployment rate in the country. With nothing to do, getting into drug use becomes easy. And drug use becomes the first step towards involvement in selling, distribution and production of illegal drugs.

The two-year study showed that the drug trade has now become a family business among poor communities in Metro Manila. A high percentage of the work force involved are children, and that 10 to 20 percent of youth in poor communities in Pasay City, Quezon City and Manila are active in the illegal drug trade.

The stark reality facing us is the prospect of having millions more involved in illegal drug trade if President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo fails to fulfill her promise of creating one million new jobs each year.

‘Breaking Barriers’ With DBM Sec. Emilia Boncodin

"Breaking Barriers" on IBC (11 p.m. every Wednesday) will feature Sec. Emilia Boncodin of the Department of Budget and Management on Wednesday, 8th September 2004.

No less than President Arroyo has raised the red flag and admitted that the government is indeed in a fiscal crisis. But this is nothing new. In fact, since 1998, the government had been regularly posting a deficit in its annual budget and had resorted to borrowings. What are the major actions or events that got us into this mess? How does corruption manifest itself in the area of revenue collections compared to government spending? What factors undermine the budgetary process and lead to an unforeseen continuing deficit? Watch it.

Perking Up The Coffee Industry On TV

"Isyung Kalakalan at Iba Pa" on IBC-TV 13 News (5 p.m., Monday to Friday) ends today the discussion of how best to perk up the country’s coffee industry. Today, the country spends at least P1.6 billion a year on imported coffee. This is a complete reversal of a time when the Philippines was considered one of the biggest coffee exporters in the world. In the same breath, our coffee farms have shrunk to less than half of its acreage, further aggravating the numbers of agricultural workers who do not have jobs. How does the country intend to tackle this problem? Watch it.

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 4th Floor, 156 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at [email protected]. If you wish to view the previous columns, you may visit my website at http://bizlinks.linkedge.biz.