President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday touted his administration’s recalibrated war on drugs, focusing on intercepting large-scale shipments down to small street-level transactions.
In his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos said a series of raids and failed smuggling attempts yielded P8 billion worth of illegal drugs.
Among the areas where the substances were recovered were Zambales, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Tondo, Muntinlupa, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Cebu, Batangas, Rizal, and Cavite.
Last month, Marcos led the destruction of confiscated drugs, including the “floating shabu” seized in Capas, Tarlac. He said the destruction process took over 24 hours to complete.
Authorities have arrested 153,000 individuals involved in the drug trade, including over 677 government personnel, more than 100 elected officials, and nearly 50 police officers.
“In just three years, the total arrests have almost matched the previous administration’s. Despite this, it seems that the pushers are making a comeback,” he said.
“So, our operations against drug dealers, whether big-time or small-time, continue,” Marcos added, stressing that the government's new methods in combating drugs are working and effective.