‘Shabu’ remains top abused dangerous drug in Central Visayas — PDEA-7 official

CEBU CITY, Philippines — ‘Shabu’ remains the top abused dangerous drug in Central Visayas followed by marijuana, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7).

Based on the agency’s actual operation in the region, Leia Alcantara, spokesperson of the PDEA-7, said that there is more supply of ‘shabu’ in the region compared to marijuana.

“Based on actual operations nato, number 1 gihapon ang shabu sa gina abuse nga dangerous drugs…Mas daghan ang suppy [shabu] kung kanang duha atoang basehan, mas daghan ang supply sa shabu kaysa sa marijuana,” Alcantara said.

Last March 2022, the PDEA national office, disclosed that marijuana is the most dominant drug in the country based on the massive seizures in 2021 and the 2019 survey of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB). 

READ: PDEA: Pot, not meth, now “dominant drug”

Alcantara explained that perhaps, there were huge confiscations of marijuana at the National Capital Region, especially in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), wherein there are marijuana plantations.

But in Central Visayas, Alcantara said that ‘shabu’ remains on top.

But as to the bigger picture, compared to previous years, or six years prior, they can say that their campaign against illegal drugs is successful but admitted that more needs to be done to counter the entry, delivery, and usage of illegal drugs, especially ‘shabu’.

“Kami sa PDEA, we say nga daghan pa gyud tag trabahuonun. Wala pa gyud ty ingun nga 100 percent. In fact sa Cebu City, daghan pa ta’g affected barangays. But if you compare it to previous years, dako kaayo tag nabuhat og layo na kay tag napadulngan,” she said.

‘Big Fish’

As to the public’s questions on why authorities usually arrest “small players” of illegal drugs, the agency said that they had major drug hauls in the national level that caught the “big fish.”

Since drug personalities in Central Visayas usually source out their  illegal items in Luzon, their arrest affects drug proliferation in the region.

“If ilang marecall, sa NCR, daghan kay ta didtog operations nga dagko nga wala pa kaabot sa street. Katong operations sa NCR, it greatly affects the supply of illegal drugs diri sa region 7 kay ang region 7 man gud, kasagarang supply, gikan sa NCR,” Alcantara said.

“Big fish nato, mga nadakpan nato. Mga transnational organizations, mga dagko na dili lang local syndicates,” she added.

Alcantara said that they have not monitored any ‘shabu’ laboratory in the region but they are not discounting the possibility of its presence here.

/bmjo

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