PDEA: SOME AGENTS 'PLANT' EVIDENCE

CANDAHUG, Palo, Leyte - The director general of the Philippine
Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) admitted that his agency, tasked with
the elimination of the supply of and demand for illegal drugs in the
country, is forced to "plant evidence" in "some special cases."

Undersecretary Dionisio Santiago's admission of the planting of
evidence like shabu or other drug paraphernalia stemmed from the
question of a reporter during a news conference here Wednesday.

The reporter asked how the agency is helping victims of planted drug
evidence.

Santiago did not directly answer the question but said that under
certain circumstances, they too are forced to plant evidence, but only
on "well-known drug traffickers under PDEA's watchlist" who always
escape arrest.

"We sometimes do this although this is against the rule of law.
Definitely we only apply this matter to some cases, like a subject who
is publicly known to be peddling drugs but always escapes arrest. This
is when we enter the picture," Santiago told reporters.

"But PDEA operatives make sure that they (known drug traffickers)
won't know that we put planted evidence. We are doing this because we
want to neutralize big personalities engaged in the illegal drug trade
which destroys the future of the youth," he said.

Santiago led the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with
non-government organizations in the region like Kabalikat Civicom, the
local media, Guardian Brotherhood Inc., Bantay Bayan, Access 5, PVACB,
CFFI and NARIAG on the cooperation of the government and the private
sector in the drive against illegal drugs all over the country.

Meantime, Eastern Visayas PDEA Regional Director Gil Pabilona revealed
that more than 200 drug-related cases filed by the PDEA and the PNP
have prospered, with the accused convicted. Fifty cases were dismissed
by the court and are now subject to revalidation by PDEA.

Santiago also confirmed that some known personalities in the illegal
drug trade in Eastern Visayas are now being monitored by PDEA.

The agency has identified problematic municipalities in the different
provinces of the region like Catarman in Northern Samar; Catbalogan
City and Borongan in Eastern Samar; Naval, Biliran; and the two cities
of Tacloban and Ormoc in Leyte.

According to PDEA, Leyte province has the most number of barangays
(293) affected by illegal drugs, followed by Eastern Samar with 79
affected barangays; Southern Leyte, 49; and Northern Samar and
Biliran, 24. Eastern Samar also has 18 barangays affected by illegal
drugs.

Santiago likewise disclosed that major sources of illegal drugs are
Cebu and Manila.

The drugs are then transported to capital towns or cities in the
region before distribution to areas which have strong demand for the
drugs.

Under the leadership of Santiago, five of seven international drug
syndicates in the country have been neutralized in only six months
while nine big drug laboratories outside Metro Manila were dismantled.

Based on surveys conducted by PDEA, some 10 million Filipinos were
found to be drug dependent in 2001, up from 6.8 million in 1994.