THE NEWLY designated director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) XI declared on Wednesday that the true benchmark of the government’s anti-drug campaign is the number of rehabilitated communities rather than the total arrests or fatalities.
Speaking at the Davao Peace and Security press briefing at The Royal Mandaya Hotel, Atty. Benjamin Gaspi emphasized that the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP) remains the agency’s primary holistic strategy.
“We cannot measure the success of the illegal drug program by the number of persons killed, the number of convictions, or the volume of seizures confiscated by enforcement agencies,” Gaspi told reporters.
“The success of the government’s program is measured by the number of barangays, municipalities, and provinces officially declared as drug-cleared.”
A “preservation-based” approach
Gaspi noted a significant shift in the operational philosophy of the current administration compared to the previous “bloody” drug war.
He highlighted that under the leadership of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the focus has pivoted toward prevention, rehabilitation, and reformation.
“There is a difference in the program,” Gaspi explained. “The current administration seeks to preserve life through rehabilitation for those involved in drugs, while maintaining aggressive, intelligence-driven operations to ensure that those in illegal transactions are caught and successfully convicted in court.”
Intensified Intelligence and Border Security
As the new regional director, Gaspi outlined a roadmap to tighten the net around drug syndicates in the Davao Region through enhanced inter-agency cooperation. Key priorities include:
- Intelligence Workshops: Collaborative sessions with other law enforcement agencies to map out and locate high-value drug personalities.
- Border Controls: Intensified monitoring and operative presence at seaports and airports to intercept drug shipments.
- Urban Operations: Scaled-up surveillance, buy-bust operations, and the execution of search warrants to control the local drug supply.
Gaspi maintained that by combining “surgical” law enforcement with community-based clearing, the agency can achieve a lasting, “insurgency-free” and “drug-free” status for the region.
