Eastern Visayas Army steps up support to anti-drug war

TACLOBAN CITY, March 1 (PNA) – Soldiers in Eastern Visayas have intensified their support to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency's (PDEA) fight against illegal drugs in the region.

Major Gen. Raul Farnacio, commander of the Army’s 8th Infantry Division has assigned a special unit to help the anti-narcotics agency in the conduct of anti-illegal drugs operations.

The joint forces of the military and PDEA, according to Farnacio, has been running after high-value targets and street level drug traders. 

“It’s only the policemen who are not actively engaged in anti-illegal drugs campaign. In our case, the campaign did not stop and we even dedicated a special unit for that,” said Farnacio.

Last week, soldiers and PDEA agents arrested five drug personalities in five separate anti-drug operations in Tacloban and Maasin cities, resulting to seizure of suspected shabu, cash and several drug paraphernalia.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the police to suspend its anti-drug operations and focus on the war against police scalawags. The order stemmed from the recent killing of Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo allegedly by policemen inside Camp Crame.

The Chief Executive’s directive prompted the Philippine Army to step up its support to PDEA’s anti-drug campaign. (PNA)
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