MANILA – The Philippine National Police’s (PNP) recalibrated anti-illegal drugs strategy approach will target the sources and supply chains instead of street-level pushers and users.
According to PNP chief Police General Rommel Francisco Marbil, the recalibrated anti-drug strategy was designed to be a “more effective and less bloody campaign” by putting more value on human rights.
“We are now focusing on high-value drug personalities and the movements of illegal drugs across the country,” Marbil said in a statement on Monday.
He added: “These are the real targets — those who orchestrate the trade and profit from it, not the street-level pushers and users, who are often victims of circumstance.”
Marbil explained that the recalibrated strategy will now involve intensified intelligence operations and stronger community engagement to identify and dismantle drug trafficking networks.
“We aim to address the drug problem without resorting to bloodshed. By focusing on the real culprits and protecting the victims, we can make our communities safer while respecting human rights,” Marbil said.
Marbil also likened the “complex issue” of the country’s illegal drug problem to the Hydra, a mythical creature which grows more heads if one is cut off.
“Our previous strategies concentrated too much on cutting off the heads, but we need to target the body — the entire supply chain and the sources driving the drug trade,” Marbil said.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has previously opposed to the violent handling the drug menace, as compared to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.
The Chief Executive said his administration’s campaign has resulted in the seizure of P44 billion worth of illegal drugs and the arrest of more than 97,000 drug personalities in its more than 71,500 operations./PN
