EDITORIAL - DRUG SMUGGLERS' PARADISE

You know the country has a serious drug problem when a shabu tiangge
operates for a year right under the noses of city and police officials
in Metro Manila. Shabu used to be brought into the country by crime
rings in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. Now the drug rings have
set up shop here, finding it easy to manufacture methamphetamine
hydrochloride in household laboratories. The country has also become a
regional financial center for drug trafficking. The 2006 International
Narcotics Control report of the US Department of State described the
Philippines as a "drug smugglers' paradise" - a tag that Philippine
law enforcers will be hard-pressed to dispute.

The illegal drug industry has thrived in this country because of
corruption. From immigration and Customs to the police, the
prosecution service and the judiciary, drug money can do wonders.
Shabu hidden in Chinese jars, underwear and other apparel shipments
easily clear Customs. Shabu manufacturing operations enjoy the
protection of law enforcers including anti-narcotics cops. When shabu
laboratories are raided, the operators are almost always missing,
leaving the raiding team only with janitors and security guards.

The rare times that a drug dealer is caught, indicted and held without
bail while undergoing trial, he can buy his way to freedom even at the
headquarters of the Philippine National Police. He can bribe a judge
to grant him bail, after which he can bribe immigration officials to
escort him to the airport so he can leave the country. If the price is
right, even the strongest drug case can be dismissed by a judge.

The US State Department report says that the illegal drug trade in the
Philippines has evolved into a billion-dollar industry, with even
insurgent groups dipping their fingers into the business to finance
operations. From retail operations, such as the one in the Pasig shabu
tiangge, to wholesale and export activities, the narcotics industry is
flourishing because of corruption. Unless graft is addressed, there is
no stopping the illegal drug trade.