Residents living near coastlines urged: Help PDEA-7 monitor areas for illegal activities

|Photo courtesy of PDEA-7

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Residents living near the vast shorelines in the region are encouraged monitor their respective areas and report to authorities any possible suspicious activities there.

Leia Alcantara, PDEA-7 spokesperson, made the appeal because this would help in the drug interdiction efforts of PDEA-7.

Alcantara said that the residents’ help would go a long way especially since they still did not know yet how many additional K9 handlers and Narcotics Detection Dogs Group would be provided to them from the new batch of K9 handler-graduates.

She was referring to the 64 K9 handlers, who completed on Saturday, October 16, the six-month K9 Handlers Basic Course in PDEA K9 Headquarters in Sitio Lambakin, Barangay Sto. Cristo, City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

“This is why gi-prioritize gyud sad sa PDEA ang training and deployment of NDDs and handlers so we can further strengthen our interdiction efforts. Aside from this, barangays, especially those with vast shorelines, can augment our efforts by monitoring their AORs and reporting to authorities if naay mga vessels nga mu-dock sa ilang area nga wala sila kaila (if there are vessels that will dock to their areas who are unfamiliar to them),” Alcantara said.

(This is why PDEA prioritizes the training and deployment of NDDs and handlers so that we can further strengthen our interdiction efforts. Aside from this, barangays, especially those with vast shorelines,  can augment our efforts by monitoring their AOR (areas of responsibility) and reporting to authoritiess if there are vessels that dock in their area that they are unfamiliar to them.)

For his part, PDEA Director General, Undersecretary Wilkins Villanueva, said that despite applying modern technologies in their interdiction efforts against illegal drugs, K9 handlers and NDDs would play a crucial role in this campaign.

“The value of highly motivated and well-trained narcotics detection dogs and their handlers cannot be understated. While we continue to apply modern technologies to combat the smuggling of illegal drugs – the portability, adaptability, and effectiveness of K9 teams ensures its relevance,” Wilkins said during the graduation rites K9 Handlers Basic Course 2021-05 Class MAGITING.

As of today, PDEA fields 116 Narcotics Detection Dogs and 183 K9 Handlers all over the country. These K9 teams are crucial in the agency’s anti-drug operations such as non-intrusive inspection for border security, sweeping searches on baggage, cargo and parcels, event monitoring, and in search and seizure operations in jails and custodial facilities.

READ:Â PDEA-7 intensifies random K9 inspections in piers, airports, warehouses