Ex-Magdalo soldiers join PDEA campaign in South

KORONADAL CITY – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has deployed a number of former Magdalo soldiers under its wing to help fight the illegal drug trade in Central Mindanao and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Magdalo referred to a group of disgruntled soldiers who took part in the so-called “Oakwood mutiny” in Makati City on July 27, 2003.

The PDEA has hired a number of former Magdalo members to help in its campaign to stop the proliferation of prohibited drugs.

“They are guiding the new PDEA agents in knowing the terrains of the drug business in Central Mindanao. Their monitoring and networking capabilities need to be strengthened for them to identify and easily catch notorious drug pushers,” said PDEA director II Rene Orbe, the agency’s newly designated head for Central Mindanao.

Orbe was appointed last Sept. 15, but only officially assumed the position on Tuesday for unknown reasons. He used to be the PDEA regional director for the ARMM and Region 10.

Orbe said he had requested the transfer of his “trusted senior anti-drug agents” from the ARMM and Region 10 to Central Mindanao to back up the former Magdalo soldiers and new anti-narcotic agents to establish an effective anti-illegal drug campaign.

Orbe’s men had helped him bust a number of shabu laboratories and warehouses in Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro City.

They also arrested a notorious member of the 14-K international drug syndicate and several Chinese nationals, and confiscated more than 200 kilograms of shabu in these operations.