PDEA gives P7.3M reward to 12 informants

REWARD FOR INFORMANTS. PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino hands over P2 million cash reward to informant "Ador" in a ceremony at the PDEA headquarters in Quezon City on Tuesday, June 26, 2018. The reward program for informants known as Operation: "Private Eye" aims to encourage private citizens to report any suspected illegal drug activities in their community. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon) AT LEAST 12 informants received cash rewards amounting to more than P7.3 million from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Tuesday.

The cash rewards were given under PDEA’s Operation: “Private Eye” (OPE), a scheme designed to encourage private citizens to report any suspected illegal drug activity in their community.

The Private Eye Rewards Committee, composed of members from the academe, non-government organizations, law enforcement, religious and business sectors, approved the resolution granting monetary rewards to the informants after careful and thorough deliberation.

PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino personally handed the rewards to the informants identified only through their codenames: Ador, Sakuragi, Jacpat, Kidlat, 24, Bungo, Mike, Kulas, Sandro, Ex-Boy, Abo, and Agila.

“I commend them for providing information that led to the arrest of 25 drug personalities, the dismantling of clandestine laboratory used in the manufacture of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, and the seizure of over P4 billion worth of shabu, ephedrine and marijuana,” Aquino said in his speech during the ceremony.

“Community vigilance is vital in the hope of winning the war against illegal drugs. Local folks need to be PDEA’s eyes and ears in barangays to see and hear if there is an illegal drug activity happening around their neighborhood,” he added.

The informants, who wore masks to hide their identity, received their monetary rewards during a simple ceremony at the PDEA National Headquarters in Quezon City.

The awarding ceremony of PDEA OPE is done on a quarterly basis, with Tuesday’s event being the third under Aquino’s leadership.