PRESENTATION MANUSCRIPT

The PNP Operational Thrust for Anti- Illegal Drugs

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SLIDE 1: Amenities…

SLIDE 2: The sequence of my

presentations are as follows:

• Introduction and General Situation

• Reasons to Avoid Drugs and Gateway
Drugs
• Differentiate Drugs and Drugs Abuse
• Classification of Drugs
• Reasons Why People Turn to Drugs
• Common Signs of Drug Abuse
• Drug Control Strategy

SLIDE 3: “The illegal drugs war will not be

sidelined – instead, it will be as relentless
and chilling, if you will, as on the day it
began”
This was the pronouncement of President
Rodrigo Roa Duterte during his state of the
nation address before congress last July 23,
2018 calling on all government
instrumentalities to once and for all eliminate
the drug menace in the country.
SLIDE 4: Indeed, because of the intensified
anti-illegal drugs campaign of the national Dru gClick to editg Master
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government, transnational drug syndicates are The intensified anti-illegal

now shifting their method of operations from drugs campaign of the
national government put Shipside Smuggling

manufacturing or maintenance of clandestine pressure to transnational

drug syndicates to shift their

Meth laboratories to importation and smuggling modus operandi

production to importation
from
Mail and Parcel Smuggling

of illegal drugs through the airport, seaport, using

method.
various concealment

mail and parcel service, and the vast coastlines Airport Smuggling

of the country. From January to September of

2018, the PNP has already recorded 8 shipside smuggling cases involving
several kilograms of Cocaine which happened mostly in the eastern
seaboard of the country. Likewise, on the same period, the PNP has
recorded 22 drug smuggling incidents in the Mail and Parcel Services of the
country, 2 in the airport, and 1 in the seaport of Manila which occurred only
recently, last August 6, 2018, involving 500 kilograms of Methamphetamine
Hydrochloride from Malaysia and Taiwan.

SLIDE 5: Base on the Real Numbers being

assessed by the Dangerous Drugs Board, an
estimated 4 Million drug users were recorded,
of which 1.2 Million surrendered to the
authorities which started its influx because of
the relentless campaign on illegal drugs of the
present administration. And because of the
continuing collaboration and program of the
government, 251,617 graduated from the Recovery and Wellness Program
and about 1,258 of which were on the bracket of minors who were rescued.
This only shows, that no matter how successful our offensive campaign on
the drug menace, still there must be some added measures and drug
strategy that the government must undertake.

SLIDE 6: But there is this big question to our

youth, what are the reasons why we should
avoid the dangerous drugs? Under the law, in
Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive
Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, this is illegal.
Under Section 5, distributors, brokers,
transporters, sellers, traders of dangerous
drugs are punishable by life imprisonment to
death. So with Section 6, the maintenance of
den/resort for drug use, it is also punishable by life imprisonment to death.
The same through with Section 11, the possession of dangerous drugs.
With all these provisions of the law, it is clear that, using or mere possession
is really illegal. When it comes to health, because it contains chemical
substances, this will badly damage your brain and body. In terms of
psychosocial effect, the individual’s behavior will be affected and because,
he/she is addicted to it, who will then resort to committing crimes just to
satisfy his urge of longing for illegal drugs. According to biblical scriptures, in
1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “do you not know that your bodies are temples of the
Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not
your own; you were bought at a price, therefore, honor God with your
bodies”. With this passage, it is against the will of God in taking illegal drugs
because you are destroying the temple of the Holy Spirit.

SLIDE 7: So, how does the young become

dependent to drugs? Will agree that the use
of illegal drugs started in what we call
“gateway drugs”? When we say gateway,
this are the path of the beginning or serves
as the starting point or better, the point of
entry. When you started to take cigarettes
when you were still young and you haven’t
controlled it, then this will become a potential
or it will lead to the use of more harmful substance and addictive drugs.
Why? Because, the nicotine or tobacco contains the alkaloid nicotine which
is stimulant in nature. Alcohol, on the other hand, is a depressant drug,
which means, it will slow down the messages travelling between the brain
and the body. So those people who drink alcohol are much more likely to
turn to marijuana or even heroin to get high.

SLIDE 8: According to the DDB definition, a

drug is a chemical substance that brings
about physical, emotional or behavioral
change in a person taking it. We must
understand that there is no way to predict the
effect that a drug can have on a person,
especially if it is the first time they try it, and
even regardless of dose and amount. Each
person would have a different tolerance on
drugs, considering the person’s brain and body chemistry are different.
Dangerous drugs are those that have high tendency for abuse and
dependency, these substances maybe organic or synthetic, and pose harm
to those who use them.
SLIDE 9: So, what then is drug abuse? It is
the use of any chemical substance, licit or
elicit, resulting to individual’s physical,
mental or social impairment. We must bear
in mind that drug abuse exists when a
person continually uses a drug other than its
intended purpose. This continued use can
lead to drug dependence, a state of physical
and psychological dependence or both on a
dangerous drug. If a drug is being used without benefit or prescription, this
will alter the mood or behavior of a person. We may also say that drug is
being abused if using drugs and substance for a purpose different from the
one from which the drug has been prescribed or having no legitimate
medical application or purposes other than merely research.

SLIDE 10: Drugs can be Natural or synthetic.

We mean natural, when it comes from the
nature and no additives on it. Example of
which is the Marijuana or Cannabis Sativa.
Synthetic on the other hand, is anything that
is produced artificially or processed in the
laboratory such as methamphetamine
hydrochloride or Shabu, cocaine, sedatives,
sleeping pills and tranquilizers.

SLIDE 11: There are five (5) Classifications

of Drugs, namely: Inhalants, Narcotics,
Stimulants, Depressants and Hallucinogens.
If a person will become dependent on these
drugs, he will experience withdrawal
reactions (also known as “cold turkey”, a
symptom that occur after long-term use of
drug is reduced or stopped abruptly) after
abstaining from drugs.
SLIDE 12: These are some of the abused
drugs. Inhalants is a volatile chemical
substances that contains psycho-active
(mind/mood altering) vapors producing a
state of intoxication. Most common example
is the rugby or thinner that can be found
anywhere. Remember the “batang-hamog” in
the streets, their feature is somewhat skinny
body with bulging stomach and pulpy eyes.

SLIDE 13: If inhalants will be abused,

following are the immediate side effects:
Prone to bleeding and bruises, loss of
memory, difficulty in learning and seeing
things clearly because the Central Nervous
System is being affected, loss of bodily
control, cramps, pains and bad cough. Its
long-term effect and irreversible is that there
is a permanent damage to brain, liver and
kidneys. If the person decided to stop using it, feeling of anxiety, depression
and irritability will be its withdrawal symptoms. Also, an aggressive behavior,
dizziness, shaking, insomnia and vomiting will be experienced.

SLIDE 14: The term narcotics, derived from

the Greek word for stupor, originally referred
to as a variety of substances that induced
sleep. This is also called an opiates, a
medical drug used to relieve pain, but when
abused, it will cause insensibility, stupor and
dullness of mind with delusional effect.
Example of which are cough syrups, cocaine,
morphine)

SLIDE 15: The following are the immediate

effects of abused narcotics: restlessness,
person is nauseated, for every large dose,
tendency of not being awakened; smaller
pupils is observable, experiencing cold moist
and bluish skin, with bradycardia or slowed
down breathing that can lead to death. Its
withdrawal symptoms are uneasiness,
diarrhea, with abdominal cramps, chills with sweating, nausea, runny nose
and eyes is also observed.

SLIDE 16: Another abused drugs is the

stimulants, also known as “uppers”. This drug
excites the Central Nervous System that can
increase alertness, alleviate fatigue, reduce
hunger and provide a feeling of well-being.
Common example of which is cocaine and
Shabu or Methamphetamine hydrochloride.
Shabu is found to have harmful effects to the
brain. It changes how the brain functions.
Studies have shown that methamphetamine abusers have reduced motor
skills and impaired verbal learning as a result of alterations in the activity of
the dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in reward, motivation, experience
of pleasure and motor function. Street names of shabu are shabs, ice, meth,
crystal, tawas and basura. Its adverse effects of methamphetamine are
extreme weight loss, severe dental problems or the so called “meth mouth”,
anxiety, confusion, insomnia, mood disturbances and violent behavior.

SLIDE 17: Depressant is a drug that slows a

person down. It is also called a “downers” or
“barbs”. Depressant is any drug or chemical
that decreases the activity of any bodily
functions. The term is most often used to
refer to drugs that reduce the activity of the
Central Nervous System. Doctors prescribed
depressants to help people be less angry,
anxious or tense, because it relax muscles
and make people feel sleepy or like their head are stuffed. Example of which
is sedatives, sleeping pills and tranquilizers.

SLIDE 18: Hallucinogens or psychedelics

was first developed as appetite suppressant.
It is a drug that changes a person’s mood
and makes him see, hear or think things that
aren’t really there. Hallucinogens change the
way a person feels time, making it seem to
slow down, and make the person
hallucinates, as if they see or hear imaginary
people or things. Example of which are the
Marijuana, ecstasy or club/party drugs and ketamine.
SLIDE 20: Aside from the Methamphetamine
Hydrochloride, Ecstasy and Marijuana which
are the most commonly abused drugs in the
country, there are also four (4) new
substances of abuse that were monitored by
the PNP.

One was the New Psychoactive Substances

or NPS which have already killed five (5)
young individuals during the Close Up Concert in Manila in 2016. The cause
of death was due to drug overdose and damaged internal organs as a result
of taking the NPS particularly Synthetic Cathinones.

The other one was the Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL), a precursor of

gamma-hydroxybutyric acid more commonly known as “Date Rape Drug”.
This type of drugs came into prominence when police operatives were able
to seize 14 bottles of GBL and arrested 11 individuals who were into sex
orgy as an after effect of the drug. It is usually used in bars, clubs and
parties, and often placed in alcoholic drinks.

Also, the liquid ecstasy and cocaine being blended with energy drinks.

And recently, a series of drug arrests involving hybrid marijuana and kush
were also noted by the PNP. Hybrid marijuana is a combination of cannabis
sativa and cannabis indica while kush belongs to cannabis indica which
originated from the Hindu Kush. Both are now being cultivated in the
northern part of the country.

SLIDE 20: To avoid detection by law

enforcement agencies, drug traffickers
employ various transportation and
concealment methods.

Early 2018, the PNP discovered that drug

traffickers are using the Transport Network
Vehicle Services (TNVS) to transport illegal
drugs to their clients. This modus operandi
came to the attention of law enforcement agencies after a grab driver turned
over a pouch containing sachet of meth from an unidentified person who
hired his services to deliver the illegal drug.

Another new modus operandi noted by the PNP DEG was the Online selling
of hybrid marijuana and kush using minors as drug couriers.
And lately, the PNP discovered that drug dealers are using stuffed toys to
conceal and distribute illegal drugs in public markets. This method of
operation came to the attention of the PNP following a drug raid conducted
by police operatives in one of the stores selling assorted items inside a
public market located in the south of Manila last July 23, 2018.

SLIDE 21: After learning the different

classifications of drugs and its adverse
effect, have you asked yourself, what are
the reasons why do people turn into drugs?
We know that certain people are at risk for
substance abuse and for developing
addiction disorders. Their vulnerability might
originate from variety of factors, including
genetic endowment, family background,
psychological factors and social norms. Some reasons pertain to family
problems. The absence of the guiding hand from the adult parent can
contribute a lot on the welfare of their children. Those parents who keeps on
quarreling in front of their children gives a reason for them to get attention
from the others who subsequently called them the drugs. Those
irresponsible parents who don’t have time for their children are the most
vulnerable victims of such abuse.

SLIDE 22: Another reason is the lack of

parental guidance. Addicts as they fondly
called commonly lack enough positive
human contacts to sustain happiness,
especially in their own comfort zone called
home, the reason for resorting to drug
intake partly as “self-medication”. The
feeling of isolation and no parental
supervision and management is a major
source of unhappiness. The subjective
experience of loneliness is painful. That is why, problems in self-regulation
specifically attributed to loneliness have manifested in alcohol abuse, drug
abuse, eating disorders and worst, suicide. The social control hypothesis
suggests that the absence of parental management and of caring
environment will lead to neglect of one’s self and will indulge in healthy-
damaging behaviors at the expense of their own health.
SLIDE 23: The pressure from the persons
surrounding you coupled with curiosity is
another reason why people engaged into
illegal drugs. The value that a person
attaches to using drugs is strongly
influenced by the community in which the
person lives. For example, students drink
more on campus that have a strong
drinking culture, few-alcohol-control policies
on campus and easier access to alcohol
through special promotions and low pricing by local stores and bars.
Moreover, peer pressure is the most influential one especially to people with
young ages. A peer pressure is a force influence to a person whether in a
character or behavior to do something by people who are about your age. A
pressure that influence a person to do something that you cannot resist just
to entertain the notion that you belong to them.

SLIDE 24: Another reason is the feeling of

boredom and frustration from life and to
other people. There is a solid evidence on
the link between chronic stress and the
motivation to abuse addictive substance.
For instance, research in human studies
shows that adverse childhood experience,
such as physical or sexual abuse, neglect,
domestic violence and family dysfunction
are associated with an increased risk for
addiction. High emotional stress is associated with a loss of control over
impulses and an ability to delay gratification. Moreover, poverty or the
scarcity of resources as one source of frustrations is really stressful in
nature and can lead to emotional distress and subsequent drug use.

SLIDE 25: Being weak is one manifestation

why people resorts into drug use. Their
weak personality and desire to escape from
reality is one reason, thus they resulted to
become addictive into drugs. People who
lack self-esteem and self-confidence often
look for others to praise them, thus taking
into an “upper” drugs that makes them high
and confident. Instead of facing the
challenges in life, then tend to escape by
diverting their attention into a more serious problem in the future, then
waking up with the same problem and reality in life.

SLIDE 26: After learning the reasons why

people tend to deal into illegal drugs, let us
now learn the common signs of drug abuse,
so that we can immediately give special
remedy once detected. Because of the
need to produce the addictive drugs,
person involve will lead to stealing items
which can readily sold for cash to support
his drug habit, and often than not, they are
ready to defend themselves to cover up
their mistakes and then later on, suffice their cravings into illegal drugs.
Then, it will turn out to be a cycle of crimes, especially when at the onset,
when nobody cares and nobody will give an immediate remedy about it.

SLIDE 27: Because of the chemical

substance that contains the illegal drugs,
the human behavior in really changing,
depending on the nature of the drugs taken.
Sometimes, the nearest kin or persons
surrounding the person involve are the ones
who greatly notice the abrupt behavioral
changes of that person. The person to be
known a jolly one became very timid and
silent and looked depressed; while on the
other hand, the very silent type of person became elated and euphoric.

SLIDE 28: People who are engaged into

drugs tend to abruptly change their peers
surrounding them. They tend to associate
themselves with the known drug abusers.
Sometimes, because this people tends to
appreciate him, he disassociate himself
with his common friends. The attention that
he is longing for have seen to the people
who are engaged into his vices that gives
him favorable pleasure and acceptance.
SLIDE 29: Because he is under the
influence of drugs, his normal output and
capabilities become inefficient, so as his
work habits is into risk. The feeling that
drug users want to get when they take
drugs including a spacey feeling or
euphoria makes them abnormal, while that
person feels he has “special power” of
doing his regular chores.

SLIDE 30: Base on study, persons with

addictive behavior tends to do their actions
during night time, to conceal their vices to
others and that nobody can notice nor
prevent them from their actions. Thus, the
change in attendance at work or even in
school is very significant sign that a person
is having a problem and can be engaged
into illegal acts. He often cover his
absences by making some excuses that
could conceal his wrong doings and actions.

SLIDE 31: Another common sign of drug

abuse is the wearing of sunglasses
specially in an inappropriate time like for
instance, indoors or during night time. The
reason of which is to hide their dilated or
constricted pupils and to compensate for
the eyes’ inability to adjust to sunlight.
Remember if you take some downer drugs
you tend to sleep all the time while
marijuana on the other hand, causes the
bloodshot eyes or reddish eye.

SLIDE 32: Another common sign of drug

abuse is that a person tends to forget his
physical and personal hygiene because of
the effect of chemical substance. His way
of life become distorted to the extent of
forgetting to take care of himself because
he is too much pre-occupied in taking the
illegal drugs.
SLIDE 33: With the discussions above, the
PNP has come up with the operational thrust DrugClick to ledit
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to deter illegal drugs. This is also in 5-Point Anti-Illegal Drug Strategy of the
Philippine National Police (PNP)

compliance with the national and

• Supply Reduction
• Demand Reduction
• Internal Cleansing

international program of action on combating •

•
Legal Offensive
International Cooperation

illegal drugs, thus, the PNP has been Current PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Campaign Plan

implementing the 5-point anti-illegal drug

(Project “Double Barrel”)

• The Upper Barrel is the arrest of

o High Value Targets

strategy, namely: • The Lower Barrel

o Tokhang
o Taphang

Sou rce: PN P An ti-Illegal Drugs Cam pa ign Stra tegy Project Dou ble Ba rrel

 Supply reduction strategy by means

of conducting intensified anti illegal drug operations like buy-bust
operations, implementation of search warrants, dismantling of
clandestine laboratories, drug interdictions and others.

 Demand reduction strategy is aimed at reducing the demands for

illegal drugs through drug demand reduction programs and advocacy
campaign in schools, barangays and work place.

 Internal cleansing is aimed at weeding out police personnel who are

involved in illegal drugs activities.

 Legal offensive strategy is to ensure the successful prosecution of

drug cases filed in different courts nationwide.

 International cooperation strategy aims to strengthen cooperation

and coordination among different drug law enforcement organization
local and abroad through sharing of intelligence information and
effective intelligence fusion.

Aside from the 5-point anti-illegal drug strategy, the PNP also launched in
July 1, 2016 the anti-illegal drugs campaign plan Project “Double Barrel”,
a two-pronged approach consist of Project “Tokhang” and Project High
Value Target (HVT).

Project HVT is a focused anti-illegal drugs operations targeting international

and national drug trafficking syndicates operating in the country while
Project TOKHANG is a persuasive humane anti-illegal drug strategy which
involve house to house visitations by a team of PNP and community leaders
to encourage and persuade drug personalities to undergo drug treatment
and rehabilitation.
SLIDE 34: The PNP has also come up with a
drug prevention program for the youths
dubbed as Project “READY”, an acronym
which stands for Resistance Education
Against Drugs for the Youth. The program
targeted elementary and high school students
and also the out of school youths in the
country.

SLIDE 35: Likewise, the PNP is currently

implementing the PNP Recovery and Wellness
Program for the drug users who voluntarily
surrendered.

This program involves community intervention,

moral recovery program, health education,
and skills livelihood training for drug users with
low risk classification.

SLIDE 36: Although drug rehabilitation is not

within the mandate of the PNP. However, to
assist the national government in the
gargantuan task of addressing drug addiction
among Filipinos, the PNP has also set up
various community and camp-based drug
rehabilitation and reformatory centers
throughout the country.

We have two reformatory centers in Region 3, the Bahay Pag-asa in Bataan

and Bahay Pagbabago in Tarlac.

Also, the Ifugao Reflection Camp in the Cordillera Region.

SLIDE 37: The PNP also have one (1) facility

in Region 6 catering treatment program for
chemical dependency among drug users in
the area and one camp-based reformatory
center in Region 10.
SLIDE 38: Part also of the anti-illegal drug
strategy of the PNP is the community
organization and mobilization to prevent and
control illegal drugs.

The PNP constantly encouraged communities

particularly local government units and non-
government organizations to be actively
involved in the fight against illegal drugs.

In February 2018, the PNP DEG has initiated a program dubbed as LAKAD
TOKHANG, a walk of support for the anti-illegal drugs campaign of the
national government which is anchored on the PNP anti-illegal drugs
strategy PROJECT DOUBLE BARREL. Thousands of participants from
various sectors of the society had joined the activity to show their support to
the program.

SLIDE 39: The PNP DEG is also actively

involved in the drug demand reduction programs DrugClick to edit
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and activities of the PNP aimed at educating • Other Community Engagement of PNP DEG
and empowering communities to resist and
report illegal drug trafficking.

.
SLIDE 40: According to Bob Riley, “Drugs are
the enemies of ambition and hope, and when
we fight against illegal drugs, we are fighting
for the future”. Truly, the youth is the hope of
our land, thus we have to take care of them
and encourage them not to engage in illegal
drugs.
SLIDE 41: Ang Laban Kontra Droga ay Laban
ng Buong Bayan… Maki-isa na!!!This is very
true, our fight against illegal drugs is every
body’s concern, this is not just a fight of the
law enforcers but of the whole community. A
whole of community and government
approach is highly encourage so as to win the
war against drug menace in our country.

SLIDE 42: While it is true that the government

is being criticized for the number of casualties
in the current drug war. We can still say to our
youth and to the people in the community,
and together we yell, “ SAY NO TO
DRUGS”!!!

SLIDE 43: CONCLUSION

That concludes my lecture for this morning,
Thank You and Mabuhay!