PDEA gets 1st NCR satellite office in Taguig

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) (Photo: Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency – PDEA/Facebook)

MANILA — Affirming its commitment to the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs, the city government of Taguig has provided a satellite office for Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), a development that reinforces the campaign against illegal drugs in the “probinsyudad” and the rest of southern Metro Manila.

Taguig Anti-Drug Abuse Council (TADAC) officer-in-charge Hilario Cruz said the city government-funded PDEAs’ first-ever satellite office in the National Capital Region turned over the brand-new, fully-furnished office for the use of PDEA on Friday.

“PDEA just has to report to the office to make it fully operational,” said Cruz, as he highlighted the city’s generosity.

PDEA will leave their old station in a building they share with the Southern Police District in Fort Bonifacio as they now occupy their new Upper Bicutan building. The satellite office comes fully equipped with air conditioning units, computers and furniture.

“It’s been a top priority for the current city leadership and it aligns with the advocacy of President Duterte,” Cruz added.

The office will boost Taguig’s drug campaign even more as PDEA will work closely with the city’s police force and TADAC. The building can host inter-agency meetings and will accept walk-in reports.

The whole of PDEA’s South jurisdiction — the cities of Taguig, Makati, Pasay, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas and Parañaque, plus the town of Pateros — will also benefit from drastically improved response times and the round-the-clock hotline.

Joel Villorente, PDEA agent assigned to the city, said the relocation was a “morale booster” for the enforcers of the Philippine drug law.

“PDEA, under the leadership of Director General Aaron N. Aquino, is grateful to the city of Taguig,” he noted.

“It’s a big thing, what the city has done,” Villorente added.

Just recently, three big-time drug pushers were sentenced to life imprisonment in September after being nabbed in a buy-bust operation that also yielded two kilograms of high-grade cocaine worth PHP10 million in 2011.

Earlier in 2016 and 2017, Tinga Drug Syndicate members Joel Tinga and Elisa “Ely” Tinga were also sentenced to reclusion perpetua for selling illegal drugs.

The Top 10 drug personalities in 2015 — Michael Butch Tan, Sancho Espiritu, Alfonso Dacquel, Richard Silvestre, Isidro Llagas, Mardie Talampas, Jackie Abone, Adonis Venus, Bags Malay and Rawie Castro — are all now behind bars.

Several initiatives were also introduced to curb the drug menace.

In 2016, the TADAC launched the drug-free community program for drug dependents. The two-month program aims to rehabilitate drug users and reintegrate them as productive members of society.

Taguig, under the leadership of Mayor Lani Cayetano, also implements a “one-strike policy” against business establishments allowing patrons and customers to use illegal drugs. The city government immediately revokes business permits even though establishments are first-time offenders.