The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency yesterday tapped the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the screening of drug enforcement agents.
A memorandum of agreement was signed by Gen. Felimon Santos Jr., AFP chief of staff, and PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino at the PDEA headquarters in Quezon City to formalize the partnership.
Under the MoA, the AFP will provide the PDEA with highly organized government medical specialists who will evaluate and validate the results of physical examinations of PDEA Intelligence Officer 1 candidates conducted in selected examining facilities nationwide.
Medical professionals that comprise the AFP’s Medical Board No. 1 will assist PDEA in evaluation, re-evaluation, and validation of medical, physical, and dental examination results to ensure that applicants are fit to perform the duties of a drug enforcement officer.
The board includes an internist, cardiologist, general surgeon, radiologist, ophthalmologist, ENT, obstetrician-gynecologist, and orthopedic surgeon-specialist who also examine entrants in the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City.
Santos backed PDEA which continues to take on President Duterte’s order to eradicate illegal drugs in the country.
“The AFP is with you and gives its full support on the war on drugs. We deeply value our partnership and we look forward to realizing our common vision of securing lasting peace in our country,” he said.
Aquino thanked the AFP for its support to the agency, noting the importance of ensuring the fitness of all of its anti-narcotics operatives in the realization of their vision of a drug-free Philippines. (Martin Sadongdong and Chito Chavez)