PALACE ADMITS ANTIDRUG CAMPAIGN ONLY HALF DONE

MALACANANG admitted on Monday that the government's antidrug work is only
half done in the wake of a United Nations report citing the Philippines as
the world's third-largest producer of shabu.

"We have pushed the drug menace far back but we take the UN report as a
reminder that there is more to be done," President Arroyo said. "The drug
problem has been half beaten and the street price of methamphetamine has
gone up almost five fold," she added.

This is the first time the President has admitted weaknesses in the
government's antidrug campaign.

Early this month, Mrs. Arroyo commended the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special
Operations Task Force for neutralizing 240 local syndicates, arresting
24,000 drug pushers and dismantling 15 shabu laboratories since it was
created last year.

The government's efforts have not changed the country's status as top
producer of shabu, however.

The UN report disclosed that the illegal drugs trade in the country is
estimated at P216 billion to P400 billion a year. The UN report said the
shabu produced in the Philippines reaches as far as Australia and the
United States.

Mrs. Arroyo assured the people, however, that the government would increase
its efforts against illegal drug manufacturers and distributors, noting
that the country would start coordinating with other governments.

"This is not only a domestic problem but one that we share with the rest of
humanity. The Filipino people fight alongside all civilized nations on this
issue," she said.