By ROY C. MABASA
President Duterte has ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to resume its anti-illegal drugs operations, Malacañang said yesterday.
Quoting an order from Duterte, Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque said the PNP will provide “active support” to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). PDEA remains as the lead agency in the conduct of the campaign against illegal drugs.
He said the new order from the President “supersedes the earlier memorandum that designated the PDEA as the sole agency that will deal with the anti-illegal drug operations.”
“Meaning, PDEA remains the lead but the PNP will again participate in the anti-illegal drug operations,” the President’s spokesman said.
Last Oct. 10, Duterte issued a memorandum directing PDEA to be the sole agency to tackle the campaign against illegal drugs following stinging attacks from various human rights groups, both local and international, linking the police to extrajudicial killings related to the war on drugs.
In a speech last month before the soldiers who fought in the Marawi siege, Duterte expressed his intent to bring back the PNP to its role in the illegal drug operations due to the reported resurgence of drug-related activities.
