Illegal Drug Trade Has Worsened: Philippines President Duterte

The illegal drug trade has worsened in the Philippines, despite Duterte-led government's relentless efforts against its proliferation.

President Duterte acknowledged that it has in deed worsened. "My policeman are on the brink of surrendering. In the end we will be like Mexico. We will be controlled by drug cartels."

He said the Sinaloa has already entered the country and this is why drugs is thrown in the Pacific and the same is happening in the West. Moreover, the syndicates in the Golden Triangle have reportedly infiltrated the country.

President Duterte said Philippines is contiguous. "There are several thousand islands. Just choose where you want to land. Its different from America which is just a stretch of border." He said the recent illegal drugs amounting to billions of pesos that were intercepted by joint operation of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Philippine National Police (PNP) could just be decoys.

According to reports, the PDEA had intercepted at least P2.8 billion worth of illegal drugs in a house in Alabang, Muntinlupa City and another P1.8 million worth of shabu at a port in Manila that were placed inside tea and biscuit packages. Duterte said it was difficult to guard the shoreline of the country, through which the illegal drugs could be smuggled. Furthermore, he acknowledged that some personnel from the government, police, military and the judiciary are also involved in the illegal drug trade.

In the 2016 presidential polls, Duterte had promised that he would eliminate the drug problem in six months, but due to the complexity of the problem, he extended the deadline to 2022.