PNP recalls 500 personnel from PDEA

By Ronron
June 19, 2007

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will take back early next month its 500 personnel detailed with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the last five years.

PNP Chief Gen. Oscar Calderon said the recall is provided by law, particularly Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which authored the creation of the PDEA.

PDEA Spokesman Supt. Francisco Gabriel said Section 86 of RA 9165 provides that police personnel assigned with PDEA shall be recalled to the PNP after the five-year transition period lapses on July 4, 2007.

“On July 4, the provision under the law about the recall of the PNP forces with the PDEA will already be in effect. Although, out of the 500 personnel, more than 100 are interested in staying with PDEA, which is also allowed by law,” Calderon said in a news forum yesterday at Camp Crame.

Calderon said those who will be recalled will be assigned to regional offices of the PNP’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF).

But Gabriel said it is likely that all 500 will really join back the PNP because it has better benefits compared with PDEA.

While Gabriel expressed confidence that the anti-illegal drugs campaign in the country will not be hampered by the pull out of policemen from PDEA, Calderon thinks otherwise.

Calderon said the anti-illegal drugs operations will surely be affected because a reduction of the PDEA strength means a lowering of its operational capability.

The only remedy seen by both the PNP and the PDEA is the fact that under Executive Order 218, the latter can still tap the personnel of anti-illegal drugs task forces of various government agencies like that of the PNP and the National Bureau of Investigation.

Gabriel insists, however, that even with the pull out of policemen, the PDEA can still work effectively. “We just need a few good men,” he said.

He said that PDEA has just hired about a hundred agents, who include technical people. The recruitment for applicants also continues to this date.

Calderon hopes that time will come PDEA will become a stronger organization that will be able to operate on its own, without the services of the PNP and other units.

When this happens, the AIDSOTF of the PNP may already be dissolved, he said./DMS