The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), in partnership with the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), highlighted the government efforts to rehabilitate drug surrenderers in a press briefing dubbed as “#RealNumbers” held in Quezon City Friday, June 9.
Dr. Vilma Diez, Acting Director III of the Department of Health (DOH), reported that there are 46 drug abuse treatments and rehabilitation centers in the whole country: 11 of these are managed by the DOH, 5 are managed by the local government units and 30 are private.
Diez added that the DOH will be opening seven (7) more treatment and rehabilitation centers for drug surrenderers.
At present, there are 2,041 severe drugs users admitted to the rehabilitation program since July of last year, with 1,263 receiving treatment.
“For drug surrenderers who are willing to be rehabilitated, evaluation is needed. People from the barangay level, such as health workers and those from the health centers are equipped with knowledge on how to screen a drug surrender, whether low-risk or high-risk,” Dr. Diez said.
Also part of the drug rehabilitation program effort is to reintegrate drug surrenderers. Through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), training is being provided to drug surrenderers for them to become community leaders.
A total of 1,304,795 drug surrenderers were facilitated from July 1, 2016 to June 6, 2017 as part of the efforts of the Duterte administration in its relentless and sustained campaign against illegal drugs.
In the same press briefing, PDEA Director-General Isidro Lapeña reported that 61, 592 anti-drug operations were conducted from July 1, 2016 to June 6, 2017 and arrested 82,607 drug personalities – of which 280 are government workers. These operations seized 2,340.74 kilos of shabu equivalent to a street value of P12.10B. The value of seized drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals and laboratory equipment, on the other hand, amounted to P18.01B covering the same period.
PDEA Director General Lapeña also reported that the number of drug law enforcers killed and wounded in anti-drug operations from of the same period reached 179. Of the total, 47 were killed in action while 132 were wounded in the antidrug operations.
The PDEA, together with the DOH, DSWD, DILG will continue to provide the public with accurate information and updates on the reinforcement and intervention programs of the government.###PCO-Content
