DAVAO CITY – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Soccsksargen (PDEA-12) is closely monitoring possible links of candidates or political aspirants for the May 2022 elections into illegal drugs trade.
The PDEA intelligence group has a list of suspected drug traders
Kath Abad, PDEA-12 spokesperson, disclosed the move on Monday after the arrest of 64 persons and confiscation of PHP8.6 million worth of shabu and marijuana during a month-long operation in the region.
She said their intelligence and enforcement units have a list of the target personalities and are continuously conducting surveillance operations based on a standing directive from PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva.
Abad did not divulge further details of the operation but said all those in their target list are monitored whether they are supporters, financiers, or protectors.
“Of course, we could deny that we are monitoring them all the time. Election time or not, we have been on their tail all the time,” she said.
Abad urged residents to be more observant and be aware of the background of personalities running for various elective positions in their areas.
In October 2021, joint operatives led by PDEA-12 seized some 500 grams of shabu worth PHP3.4 million in a search operation at the house of Tom Nandang, alias Datukon Nandang, 33, in Barangay Upper Glad 1, Midsayap, North Cotabato.
Nandang, a PDEA-12 high-value target, is a mayoralty candidate in Northern Kabuntalan, Maguindanao at the time his house was raided.
