People’s support vital in drive vs drug abuse

By EJ Dominic Fernandez and Che Palicte
STATE-OF-THE-ART equipment and advance technology are a big help to the job of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), but the biggest success factor for illegal drugs eradication is still the support of the community.
So spoke Senator Gregorio B. Honasan II in a press conference held after the blessing of the new drug facilities in the PDEA 11 office last Friday.
No matter how advanced the equipment and technology may be, the most effective weapon against illegal drugs is still the support of the community, said the chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs who graced the occasion with Undersecretary Arturo G. Cacdac, PDEA executive director.
According to Cacdac, the PDEA laboratory in Region 11 now has gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS), which is a chemical analysis technology used in drug testing and environmental contaminant identification, arson investigation, engine exhaust analysis and blood monitoring in surgery.
“With this capability, the job of PDEA will become faster because there will be no need to bring the evidence and the suspects for drug test and drug analysis to the PNP Crime Laboratory in Manila, as we can already do the examination here,” Cacdac added.
PDEA officials in the neighboring regions of Region 12, and the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao, may now bring confiscated drugs and suspects for tests to this laboratory, he said, adding that there are four GCMSs in the country –in Region 1, in Cebu (for Region 7), in Iloilo (for Region 5) and in Davao(for Region 11).
“The long term program of PDEA is to have a laboratory in all regional offices before the end of this year,” the PDEA official said, adding that the laboratory will be manned by licensed chemists.
Senator Honasan said, “No matter how advanced the equipment, how organized PDEA and the Dangerous Drug Board (DDB) are, how dedicated the agents of PDEA in the front line of the dangerous drugs fight are, if there is no support coming from the community, then, we will still lose this war,” adding that “the intelligence, the information, the evidence, and the witnesses are mainly from the community.”
“Make no mistake, we are at war, and what is at stake are our children and the future of this nation, children being our most precious and strategic resource,” he said, pointing to the importance of responsible parenthood. EJDF/CP