MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led on Tuesday the inspection of over two tons of shabu worth PhP13.3 billion in Batangas. The confiscated illegal drugs are considered as the “biggest drug haul in Philippine history.”

In an interview shortly after the inspection, President Marcos said the arresting agents were able capture one of the suspects without resorting to violence. Lawmen were able to apprehend the suspect driving a van in a road checkpoint in Alitagtag, Batangas last Monday.

“This is the biggest shipment of shabu na nahuli natin. But not one person died. Walang namatay, walang nagputukan, walang nasaktan. Basta’t in-operate natin na dahan-dahan,” President Marcos told reporters.

“‘Yun naman dapat ang approach. Para sa akin, ‘yun naman dapat ang approach para sa drug war na ang pinaka-importante is matigil natin ang pag-ship ng mga drugs dito sa pag-pasok dito sa Pilipinas,” he added.

The President said authorities are now tracing the source of the illegal drugs, pointing that they were not locally manufactured.

On the other hand, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) recommended the “spot promotion” of Alitagtag Municipal Police Station Chief P/Captain Luis de Luna Jr. to one rank higher following the success of the illegal drug operation.

De Luna, for his part, said they were conducting a regular checkpoint in Barangay Pinagkrusan when they flagged down a suspicious passenger van, resulting in the seizure of the illegal drugs.

“Mayroon po kaming regular checkpoint na isinasagawa dito sa Bayan ng Alitagtag, as part of the intensified crime prevention. So, part of it, pina-flag down po namin ang mga sasakyan,” De Luna told reporters.

“Kung mayroong suspicious, sina-subject po namin for inspection po. Kagaya po ng nangyari dito sa pangyayaring ito, ‘yun po ang naging resulta, nasabat po namin ang ganitong kalaking halaga po ng shabu po,” he added.

Police said the driver of the passenger van was promptly arrested and charged for violation of Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and is currently under police custody.

Records showed that this is already the biggest drug haul, surpassing the previous record of 1,589 tea of bags of shabu worth PhP11 billion seized in Infanta, Quezon in March 2022.

Government’s anti-illegal drug campaign from July 2022 to December 2023 showed there were already 36,803 operations conducted resulting in the arrest of 49,700 drug suspects, of which, 3,284 are considered high value targets. (PND)