INTRODUCTION

The Philippine Government’s campaign against the drug menace yielded the following accomplishments: the apprehension of wanted drug traffickers and recruiters of drug mules; seizure and destruction of multi-million dollars worth of dangerous drugs and drug paraphernalia; the discovery and disassembly of clandestine laboratories and drug warehouses; implementation of alternative development programs; creation of regional treatment and rehabilitation centers; and the promotion of a drug free lifestyle.

Noteworthy are the contributions of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Dangerous Drugs and its partner agencies, the Dangerous Drugs Board, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Regional and international cooperation among law enforcement agencies paved the way for the arrest of foreign nationals operating clandestine laboratories in exclusive residential villages and high rise condominium units in Metro Manila. Joint operations of PDEA, PNP and NBI led to the arrest of the members of the West African Drug Syndicates and the rescue of recruited drug mules.

However, the country faces some stumbling blocks in its anti-drug campaign such as difficulty in monitoring the movement of dangerous drugs along coastlines (back doors) and mountainous regions; restrictive laws that prevent law enforcers from identifying the drug kingpins; bungling of drug cases; limited operational and intelligence capabilities of law enforcement agencies; and the financial constraints to wage an all out war against drug traffickers.