Economic forces dictate shabu trade

CEBU, Philippines – The market value of shabu has dropped by at least P1,000 per gram during the second quarter of the year, an indication that there may be more supply in the market now, this according to officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

PDEA Central Visayas director Randy Pedroso said that there is the need to tap the assistance of other agencies to include the port and airport police and barangay tanods to help in their anti-drug campaign.

Pedroso said that the market price of shabu during the second quarter of the year is much cheaper compared to its market price of P9,000 to P10,000 per gram in the first quarter of this year.

In a report he presented before the Regional Peace and Order Council meeting last July 8, Pedroso said that shabu is now sold at P7,500 to P8,000 per gram.

In his report, Pedroso said that 3,003 barangays in the region have been drug affected.

In Cebu, 291 of its 1,203 barangays including those in Cebu City have been declared drug affected while only five barangays have been “cleared” of drugs so far.

Pedroso also said that this year’s anti-drug operations has led to the arrest of 184 persons of which four – Anniver Sagarino, Joselito Navarro, Maureen Pacaña and Estanislao Yap - are in the target list. They have also confiscated illegal drugs and paraphernalia worth P9.4 million during their anti-drug operations conducted from January to June. — Garry B. Lao/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)