MANILA, Philippines – Authorities have had enough of the illegal drug menace in the Philippines.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies are again pushing for the revival of death penalty as drug syndicates seem to have grown even fearless of the country’s law against illegal drugs.

The PNP Drug Enforcement Group recently seized P2-billion worth or 371 packets 1 shabu in Makati City.

Another drug buy bust operation in Las Piñas City yielded at least 17 kilograms of suspected shabu.

PDEG Commander Romeo Caramat Jr. said the Chinese national arrested in Makati on Wednesday (November 27) identified as Liu Shao allegedly served as warehouse-keeper of drug syndicates in the Philippines while those two suspects arrested in Las Piñas were his courier, in addition to two others arrested on November 6.

“If you will ask me kung nasaktan ang drug syndicate sa pagkakahuli kay Liu Shao, definitely kasi it will take time para makahanap muli ng isang trusted man na bodegero, (If you will ask me if drug syndicates were impacted by the arrest of Liu Shao, well definitely, because it will take them time to look for another trusted keeper of their warehouses),” Caramat said.

Because drug syndicates appear to be unfazed, the PNP together with the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) calls on lawmakers to expedite the reinstatement of drug penalty.

DDB Chairperson Secretary Catalino Cuy said he favors the imposition of death penalty for drug trafficking while PDEA Deputy Director Gen. Gregorio Pimentel noted that drug personalities do not stop even after they leave detention. So, for their operations to end, death penalty is needed.

“Everybody ends up in New Bilibid Prisons. Doon nai-enhance pa nila ang organized network nila to traffic illegal drugs (Inside (NBP), they are enhancing their organized network to traffic illegal drugs,)” Pimentel said.

“So we give them a chance to reunite and reconnect with other drug personalities and if they get out that will be a bigger problem so I am in favor for the death penalty,” he added.

PNP OIC Police Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, meanwhile, argued that drug suspects themselves confess that the reason why they do business in the Philippines is because of the absence of death penalty.

“Coming from the accused and the suspects themselves, based on interrogation, why are you doing this here in the Philippines? Because there’s no death penalty. That’s the simple (reason),” Gamboa noted.

Gamboa confirmed that the illegal drugs seized yesterday was sourced from outside the country.

Through the re-calibrated anti-illegal drugs campaign of the government, Gamboa said they expect to reduce illegal drugs supply in the country and eventually arrest high value targets the soonest.

“(As I always say), let’s go for the high value target. Let’s go for the bigger catches,” Gamboa concluded. MNP (with reports from Lea Ylagan)