The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency yesterday expressed confidence that they will achieve their target to rid all barangays of illegal drugs by 2022, noting that they are more than halfway their target.
PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said during the Real Numbers PH press briefing in Malacañang that while they are confident of reaching their goal, the process remained to be a challenge to law enforcement agencies.
“We are over halfway on our target para ma-clear ang barangays by 2022. And we are still crossing our fingers by ’22 we can accomplish, to clear all barangays of drugs,” he said.
“Yes, it’s doable but ‘yung challenge is so high because the remaining barangays are mostly the most notorious barangays in terms of drug affectations,” he added.
Aquino said that they are monitoring their regional directors to make sure that they are keeping up with their targets.
“Meron kaming targets sa PDEA na every month, every quarter, na we need to comply with so regional directors ko are being monitored if they are committing to their assigned targets every month,” he said.
Based on the recent #RealNumbersPH update, the government has cleared 16,706 out of the 42,045 barangays of illegal drugs as of Nov. 30, 2019.
A total of 220,728 people were arrested in 151,601 anti-illegal drugs operations, while 5,552 died during the operations. The government has also dismantled 419 dens and 14 clandestine laboratories. (Argyll Geducos)