Fatalities in the anti-illegal drug operations conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) from July 2022 to September 2023 have decreased by 52 percent.

In a statement on Saturday, PDEA Director General Moro Virgilio Lazo said the agency’s renewed drug approach is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s anti-drug campaign thrust which is geared towards community rehabilitation, going after drug syndicates and getting rid of unscrupulous officials.

“There was a 52 percent decrease in the number of drug-related fatalities during operations initiated by the PDEA, dropping from 40 deaths in the previous period of 2020-2021 to only 19 deaths recorded from July 2022 to September 2023,” the statement read.

PDEA, however, said confiscated shabu significantly increased from 2,349 kilograms in 2020-2021 to 3,795 kgs during 47,076 anti-illegal drug operations conducted from July 2022 to September 2023.

The agency has also apprehended 64,862 drug suspects, slightly higher compared to 64,143 arrests in the same period from 2020 to 2021.

Last Friday, the PDEA destroyed nearly PHP6 billion worth of dangerous drugs, and controlled precursors and essential chemicals (CPECs) at the Integrated Waste Management, Inc. in Barangay Aguado, Trece Martires City, Cavite.

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos said the destruction of the illegal drugs had saved thousands of young people from the road to perdition.

Abalos commended the PDEA, the Philippine National Police and the different drug enforcement units for their perseverance and hard work in the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.

He likewise urged the government’s drug enforcement units to relentlessly go after big syndicates to significantly reduce the supply of illegal drugs in the country. (PNA)