CLARK FREEPORT – The national headquarters of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is still hot on the trail of the remnants of a Chinese illegal-drugs syndicate that was busted last September 12 in the City of San Fernando in what was described as the biggest bust in the country so far.
PDEA Regional Director Jeffrey Tacio disclosed this on Wednesday at the media forum Talk Widus organized by the Pampanga Press Club at the Widus Hotel and Casino here but declined to give further details on the follow up operations against the Chinese drug syndicate.
Tacio said the September 12 illegal drug bust resulted in the arrest of four Chinese nationals and the seizure of 461 kilos of shabu and chemicals worth P2.5 billion. The Chinese suspects were identified as Willy Yao a.k.a. Jun Lee, Jayson Lee a.k.a. Jayson/Jason, Near Tan a.k.a. Tsoi all from Xiamen, China and Yingying Huang a.k.a. Sofia/ Sophia from Fujian province.
Tacio said the suspects were charged with violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act under Section 8 (manufacture) and Section 11 (possession) and the case is now filed with Department of Justice (DOJ). He said efforts to synchronizing with the LGU, the local police and other law enforcement agencies are being undertaken to pre-empt plans of drug syndicates.
Tacio cited the “valuable support” of the Pampanga government, “notably Gov. Lilia G. Pineda,” in the intensified anti-drug campaign with the continuous anti- drug summits in the province. He also said a memorandum of agreement (MOA) was recently signed by PDEA and the Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Customs, and PNP to strengthen inter- agency cooperation in the anti-drug interdiction in airports.
Meanwhile, Tacio said out of the 3,102 barangays in Central Luzon, 874 or about 38 percent are classified as having “drug affectation.” That is why it is important to rally LGUs to help in the campaign against illegal drugs, he said.
The local police are tasked to monitor street level pushers so that the PDEA can concentrate on high value targets, he added. Another concern, he said, is the monitoring of our coastline in Aurora and Zambales provinces which he described as “too long” in the light of the undermanned PDEA regional office.
“We really have to coordinate with other agencies in securing our coastlines from drug smugglers, he said.
