Illegal drug operation in the country is controlled by big-time Chinese and Taiwanese syndicates, US-DEA assistant country attaché to the Philippines Rodel Babasa told The STAR yesterday, as he noted that a lot still has to be done to address the problem.
"Chinese and Taiwanese syndicates are operating the shabu laboratories in the Philippines," Babasa said. "And we are now in the process of helping firmly establish the Maritime Drug Enforcement Center (MDEC) which shall serve as the processing center for all information regarding illegal drugs in different parts of the country."
The MDEC will work in cooperation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
The MDEC will receive, process and eventually return the intelligence information on illegal drugs from the various localities in the country for appropriate action, Babasa said during Monday’s formal opening of the third US-Philippine Baker Piston held here at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Southern Mindanao regional training center in Barangay Mintal.
The month-long Baker Piston, also supported by the USDEA, kicked off Monday and is participated in by 40 combined elements of the PNP, PDEA, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine Army.
According to Babasa, there could be Filipinos in the illegal drug business but they are of Chinese descent who serve mostly as conduit to their local network.
"That is why you do not find any Filipino national in the shabu laboratories that have been dismantled. These laboratories are always manned by Chinese nationals themselves because these international syndicates do not trust anyone, including Filipinos, in the processing of the substances," Babasa explained.
"A lot of work needs to be done in addressing the problem. There are indications that there are still active and actual shabu laboratories in certain parts of the Philippines," said Babasa after formally opening the Baker Piston training.
In a related development, the presence of the team of American anti-narcotics experts here for the Baker Piston training was not welcomed by various militant groups, including the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan Muna).
"Bayan strongly believes that the exercise is part of the US plan to enter the Mindanao region through its key cities by developing ties with the local authorities and offering them palatable dishes in the name of humanitarian work and civil service," Bayan Muna said in a statement yesterday.
But James Fawcett, anti-terrorism and force protection officer of the Joint Interagency Task Force West, expressed hope that both the US and the Philippines would work on changing this perception.
"The Baker Piston is not a military-to-military exercise but it is more of a law enforcement activity," Fawcett said.
Babasa added the USDEA would continue to support the government’s efforts in fighting the drug menace.
"We could say we have already seen some successes since we started the Baker Piston exercises in 2003. And you could see it in police officers who are now better trained not only in the investigation aspect of the operation against drug syndicates but as well as in tactical proficiency to also protect themselves in times of shootout," he observed.
Babasa credited the networking borne out of the Baker Piston training not only in Davao City, but also in the cities of Baguio and Zamboanga, as instrumental in the dismantling of big-time shabu laboratories in Cebu City, Metro Manila, Bataan as well as the one in Davao City last year.
PDEA Southern Mindanao regional director Wilkins Villanueva said the agency has no budget for training, such as that offered by the USDEA through the Baker Piston exercises.
"We welcome this training because it would improve the capabilities of our men in the field," Villanueva said.
Villanueva said Baker Piston does not end when the training is completed.
"Baker Piston has also strengthened networking among anti-narcotics agencies from different areas in the country," the PDEA regional director said.
Aside from extending training to local law enforcement personnel, the USDEA also supports the establishment of buildings for the use of PDEA offices as well as firing range facilities in various parts of the country.