Gov’t sets campaign on int’l drug syndicates

BY SAMMY JULIAN
Manila News Bureau Chief
MALACAÑANG — In light of the forthcoming execution of three Filipinos in China for drug trafficking, the Philippine government is embarking on a nationwide information campaign on international drug syndicates luring Filipinos to become drug couriers in exchange for large sums of money.
Information dissemination is one of the preventive measures the government is implementing to avoid Filipinos from getting involved in drug trafficking, said the Presidential Communications Operations Office secretary, Herminio Coloma.
Coloma said the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is currently going around the regions conducting a massive information campaign on the modus operandi of international drug syndicates in a move to avoid more Filipinos from being duped.
“The lack of information allows them to be victims of these drug syndicates,” he said.
The PDEA and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are also coordinating with their counterparts in other countries in the fight against transnational crimes like drug trafficking, he added.
Earlier, Coloma said the PDEA and NBI were successful in destroying the West African syndicate that employed Filipinos as drug mules.
As of August 2010, 626 Filipinos have been arrested for drug trafficking offenses in other countries.
Coloma noted that the judicial system should also be strengthened because there have been a slow progress in drug cases and very low conviction rates for drug crimes.
The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) has reported that eight percent of drug cases are dismissed before going into trial, seven percent result in conviction, eight percent result in acquittal while 76 percent remain unresolved.
Drug cases are often dismissed due to technicalities, such as irregularity or illegality of arrest, nonappearance of witnesses, inconsistent testimonies of witnesses, mishandling of evidence and unreliable police laboratories, the DDB further said.
Coloma further stressed that President Benigno Aquino III has ordered concerned authorities to tighten their watch against drug smugglers in the country’s airports and ports.

“Our government is fully committed to protect the legal rights of our citizens wherever they are but we have to respect the legal system of China,” Coloma said when asked what further actions will the government take after China has sentenced three Filipinos to death row on March 30./PN




IN  ANTIQUE:


Briefing  on  Drug Couriers  was  also  conducted yesterday  at  Pinnacle  Suites, San  Jose, Antique.  It  was  attended  by  a  Multi Sectoral  group.  Presentors  inlcudes  Atty.  Janet C.  Mesa, Regional Director  PIA,  Ms.  Rhea Glynda D.  Calantas, OIC  POEA6,   Mr. Cris  Erfe representing  Dir. Sarah G. Salcedo  Regional  Director  DFA6, Dir. Samuel S.  Madrid, Regional  Director , OWWA6, and Dir.  Paul Ledesma, Director III, PDEA6. Municipal  Mayors  present  were  Mr. Waldem  Lim  of  Tibiao  and  Mayor  Joyce Roquero  of  Valderrama. (with  report  from Jose  Allan S.  Bartolo)