OUR MARITIME borders are under siege. The recent seizure of 120 kilos of shabu in Calapan, Mindoro — reportedly bound for Iloilo — is a chilling reminder of that. With an estimated street value of P816 million, the intercepted haul not only mirrors the scale of the drug trade but also underscores a growing trend: drug syndicates are exploiting maritime routes with alarming efficiency.
Western Visayas, with its strategic location and access to inter-island transport via roll-on/roll-off (RORO) vessels, has become a prime target for traffickers looking to move illegal drugs between Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Philippine archipelago’s vast and fragmented geography has always posed a challenge to law enforcement. But in recent years, traffickers have grown bolder, using unguarded coastlines and regional seaports as points of entry and transit.
The Calapan operation involving an Ilonggo suspect, long under watch but not classified as high-value, proves how elusive these players can be. It also shows how regional blind spots — like unmonitored coasts, poorly equipped patrol units, and limited inter-island coordination — are enabling criminal networks to thrive.
What is urgently needed is a shift from fragmented, provincial-level operations to a robust regional approach. Drug smuggling is no longer confined to isolated municipalities. It is a fluid, interconnected system that demands synchronized action across Panay, Negros, Cebu, Mindoro, and beyond. Each region must no longer act as a standalone entity but as a vital link in a coordinated anti-drug chain.
Inter-agency coordination must also evolve to match this regional lens. Maritime enforcement agencies, police, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and local governments should seriously consider aligning their operations, intelligence sharing, and surveillance strategies. Information gathered in Calapan should immediately inform operations in Iloilo, and vice versa. Without this synergy, we risk merely reacting to symptoms instead of dismantling the networks behind them.
Increased investments are likewise needed in maritime radar systems, patrol boats, and training for coastal monitoring units like Bantay Dagat. But even more important is sustained political will — from the national government down to the barangay level — to treat maritime drug trafficking as a regional security threat, not just a local police matter.
The Calapan shabu haul may have been intercepted before it reached Iloilo, but it is likely not an isolated case. If we don’t act now to build a coordinated regional front, we may find ourselves overwhelmed by an enemy that thrives on our disunity. The sea may connect our islands — but unless we unite our efforts, it will continue to serve as a highway for poison.
