Pinangunahan ni Senador Ping Lacson ang pagsasailalim sa drug test para sa mga kandidato sa darating na eleksyon upang patunayan sa publiko na hindi siya gumagamit ng ilegal na droga.
Sumailalim sa drug test sa Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency si Lacson at ang kanyang running mate na si Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III nitong Lunes. Ayon kay Lacson, mas mabuti kung random ang isasagawang drug test para maiwasan ang paratang na pandaraya sa resulta.
On this note, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson set the tone for those seeking elective office in assuring the public that they do not use illegal drugs.
Lacson, who took a drug test at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Monday with running mate Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, also stressed it would be better if the drug tests are random, to prevent perceptions of “cheating.”
Shabu seized in Aug. 1, 2021 operation. Image courtesy: PDEA
Bakit lalong nagiging lantaran ang pagkasangkot sa ilegal na droga ng ilang Tsino sa ating bansa? Gaano na sila katagal namamayagpag dito? May koneksyon ba sila sa pamahalaan?
Ito ang mga tanong na inilahad ni Senador Panfilo Lacson nitong Lunes kasabay ng pagsasabing dapat ay mahanapan ng solusyon ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) at Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), kasunod ng mga serye ng operasyon ng Philippine National Police (PNP) laban sa ilegal na droga.
“Salute to the PNP! More than these successful police operations, the DDB and PDEA should look deeper into the bold and imprudent behavior of these Chinese nationals to choose the Philippines as their base; how long they had been operating; their possible connections in government, etc.,” saad ni Lacson, na namuno sa PNP noong 1999 hanggang 2001, sa kanyang Twitter account.
Shabu seized in Aug. 1, 2021 operation. Image courtesy: PDEA
Why are some Chinese nationals being bolder in their involvement in drug operations in the Philippines? How long have they been operating here? Do they have connections in government?
These are among the questions that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Dangerous Drugs Board should look into, after a series of anti-drug operations by the Philippine National Police, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Monday.
“Salute to the PNP! More than these successful police operations, the DDB and PDEA should look deeper into the bold and imprudent behavior of these Chinese nationals to choose the Philippines as their base; how long they had been operating; their possible connections in government, etc.,” Lacson, who headed the PNP from 1999 to 2001, said in a post on his Twitter account.
To Panay News: We wish to set the record straight regarding some claims by Mr. Roberto “Bert” Ladera in his March 4 column in Panay News – including that Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson is belittling the efforts of our law enforcers in battling the menace of illegal drugs, when he said that the anti-drug war has not succeeded.
Kailangang pagbutihin ng mga awtoridad ang mga polisiyang ginagamit sa operasyon laban sa ilegal na droga upang hindi na maulit ang madugong misencounter na nangyari sa pagitan ng mga operatiba ng Philippine National Police (PNP) at Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Ayon kay Senador at dating PNP Chief Panfilo Lacson, ang isa sa mga sistemang dapat na isagawa sa usapin ng ilegal na droga ay dapat na ang PDEA ang magsisilbing “overseer” sa operasyon kung saan nakatutok lamang ito sa intelihensiya habang ang pagsalakay o pagtimbog ay ipapaubaya na sa mga sinanay na tauhan ng PNP.
“We have to resolve the trust issue between the PNP and PDEA. But it would be better if the PDEA acted as overseer in anti-drug operations, and focus on intelligence-gathering, whether it is technical or human intelligence,” paliwanag ni Lacson sa panayam sa kanya ng DZBB.
Ang nabanggit na sistema ay ginagamit na ng ibang bansang nagpapatupad ng seryosong kampanya laban sa ilegal na droga.
“In other countries, the output of intelligence work is shared with specially trained police units, with one or two PDEA operatives accompanying or ‘guiding’ the police force in the operation. That is the ideal situation where coordination is smooth and tight. The last thing we need is the reluctance of our agencies to work together because of what happened,” dagdag pa ni Lacson.
The government may need to adjust its policies to prevent a repeat of the deadly “misencounter” between Philippine National Police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency operatives in Quezon City last Wednesday, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Sunday.
Lacson said one such adjustment would involve the PDEA “overseeing” anti-drug operations and focusing on intelligence work, and leaving the assault operations to specially trained police personnel.
“We have to resolve the trust issue between the PNP and PDEA. But it would be better if the PDEA acted as overseer in anti-drug operations, and focus on intelligence-gathering, whether it is technical or human intelligence,” he said in an interview on DZBB radio.
“In other countries, the output of intelligence work is shared with specially trained police units, with one or two PDEA operatives accompanying or ‘guiding’ the police force in the operation. That is the ideal situation where coordination is smooth and tight. The last thing we need is the reluctance of our agencies to work together because of what happened,” he added.
Kung hindi pa isinasantabi ng administrasyong Duterte ang gyera sa ilegal na droga, bakit binawasan ang mga kahilingan o proposal ng DDB mula P520.4 milyon to P344.5 milyon; at ng PDEA mula proposal na P4.911 bilyon to P2.731 bilyon sa NEP?
Habang nag-issue ang Pangulo ng EO 66 noong 2018 para magkaroon ng multi-agency approach ang gobyerno sa pamamagitan ng PADS (Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy) kaya pinasumite ang 61 ahensya ng budget para suportahan itong strategy, apat lamang ang pinabibigyan ng pondo ng DBM ng P2.053 bilyon sa ilalim ng NEP.
Pati ang mga augmentation na ginawa ng Senado para sa kanilang 2020 budget ay isinama sa “FLR (For Later Release)” at hindi ni-release: P81.9 milyon sa DDB at P106.1 milyon sa PDEA, ayon sa DBM Circular 580. Dahil dito, nadiskaril ang kanilang mga nakalinya na at umiiral na mga PAPs tulad ng ICT training at pambili ng ICT equipment.
Tuloy dapat ang laban sa illegal drugs, may COVID man o wala. Kaya naiintindihan ko ang hinaing at pakiusap ng DDB at PDEA sa pagdinig kahapon tungkol sa 2021 budget nila kung pwedeng madagdagan ng Senado ang kanilang tinapyas na budget.
May kasabihan tayo: Tulak ng bibig, kabig ng dibdib. Iyan ba ang nangyayari ngayon sa laban sa ilegal na droga sa kabila ng libu-libong napatay na mula noong 2016 pa?
Director General-designate Wilkins Villanueva is such one good and professional officer who is fit for the job, having a long career in drug enforcement.
The President couldn’t have appointed a more qualified head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, having served our country for nearly 20 years with the Philippine National Police Narcotics Group and with the PDEA.
With the challenge of going after drug personalities amid the new normal posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, he indeed has his work cut out for him.
I look forward to working with him, being the Senate Finance Subcommittee Chair and Sponsor of the PDEA and Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) budgets, among others.
In an interview on CNN Philippines, Sen. Lacson answered questions on: – thwarting ‘pork’ in the proposed 2020 budget
– role of VP Robredo in anti-drug war
Sen. Lacson sponsored the proposed PhP553.661-million budget of the Dangerous Drugs Board. The proposed 2020 budget of the DDB is lower than the 2019 budget due to, among other factors, the non-recurring funding for the nationwide survey on the extent of drug abuse in the Philippines.
Lacson also sponsored the PhP2.480-billion budget of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, higher than the current year’s budget.
Sen. Lacson chaired the resumption of the hearing on the 2020 budget of the PDEA and DDB, where the problem of recycling of seized illegal drugs was taken up. Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta and Court Administrator Midas Marquez attended the hearing, upon the Senate’s investigation.
Sen. Lacson cited the problem raised by the PDEA in the previous budget hearing. “Right now, what’s stocked in the warehouse of PDEA is P22B worth of different kinds of drugs. We don’t know because the problem exists as PDEA claims, they have to wait for a court order before they can finally destroy the drugs confiscated. We’d like to find out anong magandang gawin para di ma-recycle ang drugs on account of stocking.”
In an interview with media after the hearing, Sen. Lacson also cited other preventive measures such as joint operations, and closer coordination with the judiciary in destroying illegal drugs seized as evidence.
In interviews on DWIZ, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– possible legislative remedies to the GCTA law
– irony of the release of convicted drug lords via GCTA amid anti-drug war
– the woman who signed the release papers for Chiong case convicts
– ‘Designated Survivor’ bill
In an interview on DWIZ, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– Erwin Tulfo and DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista
– corruption at the Bureau of Customs
– Senate leadership and committee chairmanships
We spend a great deal of taxpayers’ money for an automated processing system, x-ray scanners, even for brokers’ accreditation, not to mention fairly high salaries for seasoned military men at the helm of the Bureau of Customs. But at the end of the day – all our efforts be damned — we are still one hell of a mess.
Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, I rise before you on a matter of personal and collective privilege.
To say that our country is treated like trash appears to be true, as in literally, amid news reports of tons of waste being illegally shipped into our lands, no thanks to local and foreign smugglers, unscrupulous Customs brokers and corrupt Customs officials.
In an interview on DWIZ, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– possible delay in the signing of the 2019 budget due to House’s post-ratification pork
– need to revisit RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty amid US State Secretary Pompeo’s assurance
Instead of killing street pushers, the Philippine National Police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency must exhaust efforts to arrest them, so they can lead to the big-time suppliers of illegal drugs.
Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson offered this formula to the two agencies so they can deal the drug trade a major blow.
With law enforcers proving themselves capable of going after street peddlers, it is high time for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Dangerous Drugs Board to go after the so-called big fish.
Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson stressed this on Tuesday as he cited the need for stricter coordination at the upper levels against the entry of illegal drugs into the country.
“You have to refocus because the police are now capable of going after street peddlers. You have to concentrate on those at the higher levels,” he said at the Senate hearing on the budgets of the two agencies for 2019.
Bahala na ang mga pulis sa mga nagtutulak ng droga sa kalye; ang mga malalaking supplier ang atupagin ninyo.
Ito ang naging mensahe ni Senador Panfilo Lacson sa mga pinuno ng Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) at Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) sa pagdinig ng Senado sa panukalang gastusin ng dalawang ahensiya para sa susunod na taon.
Si Lacson ang chairman ng sub-committee ng Senate Committee on Finance na nagsagawa ng pagdinig sa panukalang gastusin ng mga naturang ahensiya para sa taong 2019.
Sen. Lacson chairs the Senate hearing for the 2019 budgets of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Dangerous Drugs Board. Video courtesy: Senate of the Philippines.
In an interview, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– mulitbillion-peso wastage of taxpayers’ money due to RROW issues
– need for government to shift focus to the economy
– possible food crisis
– on Pagcor action on PH offshore gambling operations
– recent bombings
At the #MeetInquirer multimedia forum, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– ‘Hybrid’ budget
– National ID
– President Duterte’s reported thinking of stepping down
– Addressing the problems at BOC
– Pork barrel system
– PDEA’s need to refocus anti-drug strategy
– Sen. Tito Sotto as Senate President
– Political scene 2022
In an interview on DWIZ, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– COA report that Office of the President’s confidential/intel funds up 350% from 2016
– killing of Mayor Antonio Halili
– peace talks with CPP-NPA-NDF
– proposed amendments to the Constitution
From CNN Philippines: “Dumb and cruel,” that’s how Senator Ping Lacson described the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)’s release of the administration’s so-called narco-list.
At the Kapihan sa Senado forum, Sen. Lacson answers questions on:
– Ombudsman’s resolution on P6.4B shabu shipment
– PDEA’s releasing of narco list
– Assessment of the government’s anti-drug war
– Charter change and shift to federalism
– CJ Sereno’s impeachment
– PH-Kuwait ties
– Blue Ribbon committee issues
– Senate transfer
– Senate leadership change
In an interview, Sen. Lacson answers questions on:
– ‘Syndicate’ at DPWH
– NPA terrorist tag
– Pork in the 2018 budget
– PNP’s new role in anti-drug war
In an interview, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– Reported plan to consider the NPA as a terrorist group
– Revolutionary government
– Penalties vs hazing after Atio Castillo case
In an interview on ANC, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– Pulse Asia survey on the war vs drugs
– PDEA’s lead role in anti-drug war
– On the Senate holding impeachment trials
The Supreme Court has aptly described our nation’s worst crisis issue today, and I quote: “Drug addiction has been one of the most pernicious evils that has ever crept into our society, for those who become addicted to it not only slide into the ranks of the living dead, but even worse, become a grave menace to the safety of law-abiding members of society.”
Marami sa atin marahil ay hindi nakikita ang mas malalim ng dahilan sa pagtitipong ito, dahil hindi lubos na naunawaan ang positibong epekto ng pagsira ng shabu sa umagang ito.
Let’s review our high school math. Ang sisirain natin mamaya, 311.64 kilograms ng shabu na nagkakahalaga ng P435.87 million. Bukod sa nagpapakita ng puspusang pagsisikap ng PDEA at ng mga alagad ng batas para mapuksa ang iligal na droga sa bansa, ay mas malalim pang kahulugan ang maaring nakakaligtaan nating bigyan ng halaga.
