Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Tuesday inspected P278 million worth of suspected shabu seized at the Manila International Container Port (MICP), citing the haul as evidence that the government’s bloodless approach to the drug war is working.
The illegal drugs were found in 131 packets weighing approximately 41 kilograms. Authorities confirmed the shipment originated from Afghanistan and was intercepted through a joint operation involving the Bureau of Customs, Philippine National Police, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Dangerous Drugs Board.
“The solution to the drug problem is not killing people,” Remulla said during the inspection. “It is this kind of operation which solves the problem, which lowers the crime, which makes the people’s lives better. That is our point here.”
Remulla emphasized that the current administration is focusing on intelligence and enforcement to prevent drugs from reaching the streets rather than targeting small-scale users with violence.
He cited that this “whole-of-nation” approach has caused the street price of shabu to rise by 80 percent, while street crime has dropped by 24 percent.
“Enforcement is more important than EJK (extrajudicial killings),” Remulla added. “We can work without killing the small people. We need to catch them so it doesn’t reach the streets.”
According to the secretary, approximately P95.6 billion worth of illegal drugs has been confiscated during the first three years of the Marcos administration.
He said that this figure surpasses the records of previous administrations and proves that coordinated supply-side curtailment is an effective strategy for national security.