Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Region VI (PDEA-6) Director Alex Tablate said the recent decline in the illegal drug trade is due to fears of the coronavirus disease, or Covid-19.
“The drug trade really declined due to Covid-19,” the PDEA-6 official explained. “Kasi wala silang buyers dahil nag-stay sa bahay ang mga buyers and users (Dealers have nobody to sell to since buyers and users are staying home).”
Tablate added, restricted border crossings and more checkpoints are further depleting the industry.
“Alam nila na mahigpit ang mga pulis sa pag-inspect at may implementation of border restriction, that’s why hindi sila makapag-deliver ng illegal drugs (They know police are tightening inspections with imposed border restrictions, that’s why they have not been able to deliver drugs),” he explained.
However, despite the decrease, PDEA-6 continues to monitor all local seaports and entry points across the region./WDJ