Nearly 5,000 killed in Duterte’s drug war

MANILA, Philippines — At least 4,999 suspected drug pushers and users have been killed in the government’s war on illegal drugs since President Duterte took office in July 2016, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

PDEA records showed that the figure includes 51 killed in alleged shootouts with anti-narcotics officers from Sept. 30 to Oct. 31.

The PDEA said a total of 161,584 drug personalities were arrested in 113,570 anti-drug operations.

Director Derrick Carreon, PDEA spokesman, said 257 elected officials, 278 government employees and 65 other state workers were apprehended due to illegal drugs while 417 law enforcers were dismissed on drug-related charges.

A total of 584,216 drug pushers and users who surrendered under Oplan Tokhang have been rehabilitated.

P25 billion shabu seized

A total of 3,276.42 kilos of shabu with an estimated street value of P25.06 billion wereconfiscated, P44.26 million of them seized last month.

At least 8,935 of 42,044 barangays across the country were declared drug-free, records also showed.

Carreon expressed confidence that the country would achieve a drug-free status when Duterte steps down in 2022.

“If we maintain this phase, kaya naman provided... drug-cleared barangays maintain their... status and there will not be any resurgence of illegal drug activities,” Carreon told a forum at  Camp Crame.

He said among the challenges they are facing is the prevalent supply of narcotics.

Carreon noted that the price of shabu recently dropped from P6,800 to P1,400 per gram.

The PDEA attributed the drop in shabu prices to four magnetic filters, which reportedly contained about a ton of shabu, that allegedly slipped past the Bureau of Customs.

Laguna, Batangas drug busts

Meanwhile, seven more drug suspects were killed in simultaneous anti-drug operations in Laguna and Batangas since Monday night.

Senior Superintendent Eleazar Matta, Laguna police director, identified three of the fatalities as Francisco Padua, 45, alias Kid, a certain Mike and an alias Edwin.

Matta said the three suspects resisted arrest and fired at police officers who posed as buyers of shabu in Lumban, Kalayaan and Cavinti towns. 

The three other unidentified  suspects were killed in stings in Barangays Canlalay and Sto. Niño in Biñan.

In Batangas, Christian Hernandez was shot dead when he fired at anti-narcotics agents in Barangay Tinurik in Tanauan City.– With Ed Amoroso