DAVAO CITY, Philippines — In an effort to strictly monitor and stop shipment of illegal drugs inside the government detention center, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has set up an office inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City starting Tuesday, November 14, 2017.
PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino in an interview with Newsline.ph said setting up an office inside the NBP is aimed at stopping the illegal drugs transaction in the penitentiary where convicted big time drugs lords are kept.
“It is a serious attempt to stop drugs inside Bilibid and to a greater scale, stop drugs supply in the country,” he added.
The satellite office is located just meter away from the main building of the NBP.
“Since we have an office there, PDEA is 24/7 visible in the place and we can conduct a regular greyhound operations anytime,” Aquino stressed.
A dozen of PDEA agents will be deployed at the NBP and K-9 dogs will be stationed. But Aquino said there will be close coordination among units to ensure proper procedures will be observed.
Aquino led the ribbon-cutting ceremony which signalled the opening of the PDEA office Tuesday, November 14.”
The NBP is under the supervision of the Bureau of Corrections (BoC).
The PDEA and the BoC signed an agreement to share intelligence reports as they operate in the same compound.
The BoC allowed the PDEA to establish an office and two room to serve as half-way home of the staff.
Aquino said there is a need to seriously look into the NBP drugs trade and how it thrives despite strict security measures.
For three years now, the NBP has been featured as one of the major sources of illegal drugs in the country.
President Rodrigo Duterte Monday is toying the idea of giving back the drugs operation under the Philippine National Police (PNP) should PDEA fail to satisfactorily perform as he expected.
Aquino used to work with Duterte here as the Station Commander of Sasa Police Station and later he served the Regional Police Command XI.
Since Aquino assumed office, PDEA adopted a scheme which allows media representative and local officials in their operations.
All PDEA personnel joining the operations are required to wear body camera to ensure transparency and everything is recorded.
Lately, the operations against illegal drugs were not as bloody as it was under the PNP.-Editha Z. Caduaya/Newsline.ph
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