ILOILO — The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) has confiscated P202,567,255 worth of illegal drugs across Iloilo province from January 1 to September 21 this year.
IPPO director Police Colonel Bayani Razalan presented the accomplishment report during the third-quarter meeting of the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) on Friday morning, September 25.
During the nine-month period, police conducted 333 anti-drug operations that yielded 30,144.82 grams of suspected shabu and 438.27 grams of marijuana.
Meanwhile, representatives from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reported that out of the province’s 1,721 barangays, only one remaining village has yet to achieve drug-cleared status.
Presiding over the council meeting on behalf of Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., Provincial Administrator Dr. Raul Banias laid out the provincial government’s aggressive interdiction strategy, which includes deploying narcotics detection K9 units, tightening port checkpoints, and conducting strict drug tests.
“As I emphasized to the council, we have absolute zero tolerance for those who betray the public trust, particularly barangay officials who are found involved in the drug trade,” Banias said. “We will not let our guard down. With only one barangay left to be drug-cleared, we are pulling out all the stops to cut off both supply and demand.”
K9 Units Produce Results
The province’s newly deployed Narcotics Detection Dogs (NDDs) have already proven effective in boosting regional anti-drug efforts, according to Christopher Viaña, Team Leader of the PDEA–Iloilo International Airport Interdiction Unit.
Viaña reported that provincial K9 units successfully detected illegal drugs during joint greyhound operations at the Iloilo District Jail in Barangay Nanga, Pototan, on July 10 and September 13.
He added that the IPPO’s K9 units have also augmented PDEA’s regular monitoring operations at airports and seaports, noting that the agency has only five NDDs serving the entire region.
According to Viaña, the PDEA leadership has acknowledged and lauded the provincial government’s initiative, describing it as the first of its kind in the country.
The provincial government funded the acquisition of 30 K9 dogs, which underwent six months of specialized narcotics detection training together with their handlers.
Of the total number trained, 27 NDDs successfully completed the rigorous program and were deployed to the IPPO in June 2026 to help intercept the entry of illegal drugs into the province.
Gov. Defensor conceptualized the initiative as part of Executive Order No. 111, which implements the 4KForMoRProGRes program and institutionalizes community action toward peace, order, and national development./PN
