Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM

Background of Study

Drugs are any substance which, when taken into the

body, alters the body’s function either physically and/or

psychologically. Drugs may be legal (e.g. alcohol, caffeine

and tobacco) or illegal (e.g. cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine

and heroin). Psychoactive drugs affect the central nervous

system and alter a person's mood, thinking and behaviour.

Psychoactive drugs may be divided into four categories:

depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens and others (Roland,

2011).

A study of Natasha Tracy (2010) said causes of drug

addiction have been suggested, many people still believe

psychological factors comprise the bulk of what causes drug

addiction. Some of the psychological causes of drug

addiction appear to stem from trauma, often when the drug

addict is young. Sexual or physical abuse, neglect, or

chaos in the home can all lead to psychological stress,

which people attempt to "self-medicate" (decrease the

stress's pain through drug use). This self-medication

becomes a cause of drug addiction. A person's environment

can be part of what causes drug addiction. Drug addiction

is more common in environments where drug abuse is seen or

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where it's seen as permissible. Children who grow up in

homes with drug addicts often become drug addicts

themselves, because most drug use starts in adolescence.

Those with inattentive, abusive or neglectful parents are

more prone to drug abuse. One cause of drug addiction can

be the combination of drug experimentation with the lack of

parental oversight.

According to a primer of the United Nations Office on

Drugs and Crime (UNODC) posted on its website, drugs are

chemical substances that affect the normal functioning of

the body, either physically and/or psychologically. Not all

drugs are illegal, it says. The caffeine in coffee, the

nicotine in cigarettes, and alcohol are technically legal

drugs. Medicines are pharmaceutical drugs used to treat or

prevent illnesses. They are legal, although they could also

be abused. The ones people should totally shun are the

illegal drugs because they alter a person’s mood, thinking,

and behaviour. All illegal drugs have immediate physical

effects, and they also hinder psychological and emotional

development, especially among young people, says the UNODC.

Drugs cloud a user’s judgment, making him/her take more

risks, for instance having unsafe sex that could lead one

to contract sexually transmitted diseases, including

HIV/AIDS. The effects of illegal drugs do not last long.

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When they wear off, a user gets depressed, lonely and sick,

appears confused, sweats a lot, has red eyes, and neglects

his/her physical appearance. Then comes the irrational

craving (Danganan, 2017).

According to the study of Casa Palmera (2012), in

titled “Casa Palmera Drug Prevention”, stress is the one

factor why people used and abuse illegal drugs. In recent

study, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America showed that

73 percent of persons report the number-one reason for

using drugs is to deal with the pressures and stress.

Surprisingly, only 7 percent of parents believe that teens

might use drugs to cope with stress, showing parents

severely underestimate the impact of stress on their teens’

decision to use drugs.

Illicit drugs have become a major global problem in

recent decades following considerable recent political

change, including the collapse of communism and the

formation of international super-states to increase trade.

Despite increasing collaboration between law enforcement

authorities in different countries, illicit drug problems

appear likely to increase in the future because of the vast

profits available, continuing (and increasing) demand and

more permissive attitudes concerning drugs among young

people. While rejecting legalization or decriminalization,

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the search for more effective responses by law enforcement

authorities and the community generally must be stepped up.

Police services continue to play an important role

restricting the availability of illicit drugs but

increasing emphasis needs to be given to reducing demand,

including more available and more effective preventive drug

education in schools. Police also need to work with harm

reduction approaches devised to reduce the negative

consequences of drug use for those who continue to use

illicit drugs (Samuel, 2010).

In Britain are defined these the importance of a

multi-sectorial approach operating at both national and

local levels with the objective of reducing drug-related

crime, reducing the acceptability and availability of

illicit drugs and reducing the harmful consequences of

illicit drug use. Harm reduction requires a commitment for

close collaboration between police and drug treatment

services to maximize the effectiveness of needle-exchange

schemes and other harm reduction approaches. Cautioning,

now commonly used in Britain for selected minor drug

offences, has a number of benefits including reducing

criminal justice costs. Greater emphasis must be placed on

diversion schemes involving close links between police and

drug treatment services. Future progress requires firm

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commitments to providing adequate and effective drug

treatment services, conducting research to develop and

evaluate more effective diversion schemes, improving

collaboration between sectors and effective leadership. In

addition to the major costs of illicit drug use to the

community, the huge cost to individuals must remain a major

focus driving the search for more effective responses to

the problems resulting from illicit drugs (Hellawell,

2014).

According to the study of Brownfield (2015), the U.S.

Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and

Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) bring experts and other

resources to foreign countries to help them fight drug-

related crime and drug abuse. INL has supported the

establishment, and professional development, of drug

treatment and prevention programs around the world for

decades. These programs operate in high-risk nations, and

focus primarily on providing services for women and

children, both of which are chronically underserved and

stigmatized groups.

On the other side, the Sterling Police Department and

its employees improve the ability to provide quality

professional law enforcement service to sterling community

is influenced directly and the sterling police department

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has been a policing agency to respond to crimes when they

occurs and investigate and when possible make an arrest to

utilize various policing strategy (Breivik, 2012).

According to K. Wills (2011), the impact of the law

enforcement practice on illicit drug markets is a

notoriously difficult task. Conventional approaches to

assessing Discoid lupus erythematous (DLE) performance

focus on the use of drug seizure and arrest of the person.

However, these data say more about the extent to which

police engage in certain types of activities and allocate

resources than they do about DLE effectiveness, because

offences relating to illicit drugs are far more likely to

be detected by the enforcement agencies than reported to

them, as such the more effort and resources DLE invest in

detecting illicit drugs.

Furthermore social media is the most popular platform

used within the law enforcement community, with nearly 67

percent of responding agencies stating that the currently

have a Facebook page is especially popular with crime

prevention units, which can easily find and set-up the

suspected person cost-create a page where fans can read the

latest news about criminal activities and modus-operandi to

make the community awareness that are gaining ground within

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the law enforcement and crime prevention to the community

(International Association of Chiefs of Police, 2010).

In the Philippines the institutionalization of an

Crime Incident Reporting System (CIRS) to all Police

personnel regional office and police stations nationwide is

one of the PNP’s strategies in enhancing the integrated

data base system and upgraded the PNP investigation process

to give timely fast and valuable information of criminals

involving illegal drugs and therefore enhance solution of

criminal cases, it does not only facilitate crime

documentation and data storage but to quick fast and

reliable transmission of crime information from a Police

Station Nationwide (PNP official website, 2013).

CEBU, Philippines - Drug addiction can be found in

many forms. A person can be addicted to alcohol,

prescription drugs, inhalants or other street drugs such as

cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, etc. Understanding the

reasons people are initially attracted to drug use can help

stop future users from becoming addicts. Experimentation

and curiosity are the first factors that draw many people

into trying drugs. They want to feel that “high”, the sense

of euphoria that comes with drug use. While this may lead

to recreational use of drugs (using only in certain

situations), it rarely leads to actual addiction unless

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other factors are present. However, some drugs like heroin

have are more likely to cause addiction than others

resulting in an addiction from simple experimentation alone

(A. Brownstone 2017).

In Manila Philippines Nearly half of the recorded

deaths in police anti-drug operations between Jan. 1 and

June 15 this year happened after the May 9 elections when a

presidential candidate known for his uncompromising style

of fighting drug pushers and syndicates was emerging as the

clear winner in the polls. Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor,

spokesman for the Philippine National Police (PNP), said

that in their record of 68 individuals with suspected drug

links killed by law enforcers during the period, 31 met

their end after the election victory of Davao City Mayor

Rodrigo Duterte – or an average of one a day. The number of

those killed has gone up to 70 as of yesterday. More than

17,000 individuals have also been arrested during the

period in an intensified PNP anti-illegal drugs campaign,

Mayor said. “The intensity of the operations against

illegal drugs, which he (Duterte) is really, really

against, has been pushed by the PNP. That’s why our police

are focused on illegal drugs, which is priority No.1 of the

incoming president (Felipe, 2018).

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Furthermore, peer pressure is also a factor in turning

people into drug addicts. Peer pressure can happen at any

age. Adults fall prey to Peer pressure to fit into new

social classes, new workplaces and new neighborhoods. In

fact, using illegal drugs is becoming a way for many

teenage girls to fight the pressure that comes with needing

to be thin and attractive and can also fall prey to the

rebellious attitude that they need to do anything their

parents. Easy accessibility to drugs and new, lower prices

can also lead to drug addiction. Drugs can be found

anywhere if a person simply asks. Street corners and

alleyways are no longer the only place to find drugs.

Schools, workplaces and even the family next door might be

new places to find drugs. With more drugs being produced,

the price has also been driven down. Drug addiction can

also be caused by using drugs to mask other mental

problems. For example, depressed people frequently use

drugs to escape their sad feelings. Schizophrenics find

that some street drugs can control their hallucinations.

Denial and hiding the problem just lead to more problems in

the long run (Aldanese, 2010).

In Iloilo city, the Philippine National Police of

Regional Office-6 said it has not stopped pursuing its

campaign against illegal drugs despite being sidelined in

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the task. In a press release, PRO-6 Spokesperson Sr. Supt.

Gilbert Gorero said the PNP has strengthened its campaign

in another level. “We intend to make the PNP DARE officers

to be visible in schools and be teachers in their complete

uniforms” Gorero said was referring to the program which

the PRO-6 has re-launched, the DARE or Drug Abuse

Resistance Education, in schools. He added that through the

program, the presence of the police in schools will make

the students feel safe. "DARE is also aimed at educating

the youth to avoid illegal drugs, be concerned about

personal safety and understand their basic rights and

responsibility (R. Adoto, 2018).

Meanwhile, other signatories were DILG-6 Regional

Director Anthony Nuyda, Department of Education-6 Director

Gemma Ledesma, Commission on Higher Education Director

Cesar Medina, Bless our COPS Movement Pastor Joel Degillo,

Battle against Drugs Regional Coordinator Rev. Danny

Bornales. And the Chief Supt. Binag said that the ultimate

aim of the DARE program is to help bring about a drug-free

environment for children. “The DARE program is unique in

its thrusts of prevention rather than rehabilitation, where

the police will increase its visibility (Philippine

Information Agency, 2017).

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The PNP personnel on procedures that must be observed

in the course of anti-illegal drugs operations and

investigation in accordance with provision of republic act

R.A 9165 otherwise known as comprehensive dangerous drugs

act of 2002 and its implementing rules and regulations

(IRR) as amended by R.A 10640. However, since its

publication in 2010 the manual has assisted the PNP in

building air tight cases against illegal drugs offenders

and its successful prosecution in court, however new trends

modus-operandi in drug trafficking have emerged thus the

need to revise some provisions of the manual to make it

more responsive to the present illegal drugs situation (PNP

manual, 2018).

Moreover, buy bust operation of the PNP on combating

the illegal drugs must ensure that the suspect delivers the

illegal drugs or accepts the marked money before giving the

pre-arranged signal for the arrest of person, this is the

one of the elements and strategies of the PNP to prevent

illegal drugs. The buy bust operation is the transaction

between the suspect and the poseur-buyer (PNP manual,

2018).

Additionally, buy bust operation is a warrantless

searches and seizure of illegal drugs to the person. During

the actual physical inventory, the evidence from whom such

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items were confiscated by the Police personnel of illegal

drug unit to place it in the custody of the PNP to analyze

and evaluate the items that be confiscated from the buy

bust operation and for further investigation (PNP manual,

2018).

The Philippine National Police will resume conduct of

Oplan Tokhang. The visitation of the alleged drug

personalities in order to persuade them to stop their

illegal drugs activities and inviting them to surrender for

their rehabilitation program for their own safety and to

protect them to a victim of unreported killing of drug

personality that involve on illegal drugs. The purpose of

this program from the drug personality is to become a law-

abiding citizen after his or her rehabilitation (Malonzo,

2018).

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issued

Department Order 53-03, Series of 2003 (the “department

order”), otherwise known as Guidelines for the

Implementation of a Drug-free Workplace Policies and

Programs for the Private Sector, to assist both the

employers and employees in the formulation of company

policies and programs to achieve a drug-free workplace. The

department order was issued in compliance with Article V of

Republic Act 9165. The department order mandates all

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private establishments employing 10 or more workers to

formulate and implement drug-abuse prevention and control

programs in the workplace, including the formulation and

adoption of company policies against dangerous drug use.

The department order directs the employers to increase the

awareness and education of company officers and employees

on the adverse effects of dangerous drugs through

continuous advocacy, education and training

programs/activities. It also provides for a treatment,

rehabilitation and referral program for employees found to

be positive for drug use. In implementing this program, the

employers are mandatorily required to conduct random drug

testing. Random drug testing is done when officers and

employers are tested at random intervals without prior

notice. It now comes to the strict adherence and

implementation by employers in the private sector to ensure

a safe working environment for their respective

constituents. Indeed, change starts within us. To spearhead

change, we can do so by adopting a drug-free policy in our

own workplace (L. Patajo-Kapunan, 2016).

Moreover, labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III in his

statement. Almost 36,002 establishments assessed under the

Labor Laws Compliance System, only 29,607 (82.24%) have

drug-free workplace policies in place. Also, he said that

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establishments that are yet to comply with the policy can

request for assistance from the DOLE Regional Offices and

their respective Labor Laws Compliance Officers in crafting

the program guidelines as mandated by DO 53-03. All drug

tests shall use the screening and confirmatory tests. Those

found positive for drug use shall be referred for treatment

and/or rehabilitation in a Department of Health accredited

center. After the rehabilitation process, the employer's

assessment team will make recommendations. All costs for

the treatment and rehabilitation of the drug dependent

employee shall be charged to the worker's account, but the

period during which the employee is under treatment or

rehabilitation shall be considered as authorized leaves.

Violations of DO 53-03 may be punished criminally under

Article II of RA 9165 and its Implementing Rules and

Regulations, or administratively under Article 297 of the

Labor Code, as renumbered (Santos, 2016).

The Department of Education (DepEd) announced

yesterday that secondary students, elementary and secondary

school teachers as well as officers and personnel from its

central, regional, and school division offices will undergo

random drug testing in support of the administration’s war

on illegal drugs. The mandatory drug testing is based on

Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act

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of 2002. Under Section 36, students of secondary and

tertiary schools shall undergo a random drug testing

pursuant to the related rules and regulations as contained

in the school’s student handbook and with notice to the

parents. The Act also requires officers and employees of

public and private offices, whether domestic or overseas,

to undergo a random drug test. Education Secretary Leonor

Briones said that before the conduct of the random drug

testing, DepEd personnel will have to undergo an

orientation-seminar geared toward providing awareness on

various aspects of drug testing. She said the activity is

in preparation for the actual drug testing of select

students, teachers, and personnel. DepEd will conduct the

orientation-training on the drug testing program starting

this month until April 2017 (M. Hernando-Malipot, 2017).

According to Dela Rosa The PNP assured that the names

of the person that involving drugs in the watch list were

carefully validated by the (DI) Directorate for

intelligence that Tokhang operation should be driven to

avoid of human rights, and the names included to the list

is submitted to undergoes strict validation to ensure the

personalities were involved in the illegal drugs

transaction (Manila bulletin, 2017).

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Poor Filipinos are the most vulnerable in President

Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, according to a research

analysis by some of the country's top schools. The study

focused on the 5,021 drug-related killings from May 10,

2016 to September 29, 2017 reported by various media

organizations. May 10 is the day Duterte won the

presidential elections. The research indicated the jobs of

only around 15.7 percent of the victims but it showed that

most of them were poor. Two-hundred twenty-three (223) of

the victims--whose jobs were identified in the study--were

either tricycle, pedicab, or jeepney drivers, barkers,

construction workers, vendors, farmers, or garbage

collectors. There were also 38 victims who were reported as

unemployed. The research also showed 130 local government

officials—mostly barangay level—and 127 uniformed personnel

killed in the drug war (Quintos, 2018).

Republic Act No. 9165 created the Philippine Drug

Enforcement Agency, which serves as the main implementing

arm of the Dangerous Drugs Board and the entity responsible

for the efficient and effective enforcement of all

provisions of the drug law. The call for a single and

centralized enforcement agency was thus realized, although

the PNP and NBI are still allowed by law to maintain their

respective anti-drug task forces. On March 6, 2017,

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President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No. 15

which created the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal

Drugs (ICAD) chaired by PDEA. This body was tasked to

ensure an integrated and unified planning, implementation

and enforcement of all anti-drug abuse policies, programs

and projects in all branches of the government. The ICAD

has four clusters: (1) Enforcement, headed by the PDEA; (2)

Justice, chaired by the DOJ; (3) Advocacy, led by the DILG;

and (4) Rehabilitation and Reintegration, co-chaired by the

DOH and the DSWD. The ICAD operates using the Barangay Drug

Clearing Program (BDCP) as the main strategy framework.

Thus, the various roles of the ICAD members come into play

in the context of the different BDCP phases. In general,

the ICAD acts as a manager to ensure that the government’s

anti-drug program is successfully implemented on the ground

(Garcia, 2017).

The Philippine National Police units continue to wage

war on drugs on the street and to our community the war

against drug addiction is being fought after the EMU

(Emotional and motivational unit). The resident is given

daily task to improve the awareness of the community to the

use of illegal drugs. The leaders are coordinating with the

case in charge the dealing with violating resident from

July 2016 to May 2017, there were at least 1.2 million drug
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users who surrendered under the Duterte administration

Oplan Tokhang (Quintos, 2017).

The anti-illegal drugs operations of the Philippine

National Police consisting of buy-bust operations, house

raids/searches, and marijuana plantation eradications

resulted in the arrest of 28,360 pushers and users,

confiscation of illegal drugs with an estimated Dangerous

Drug Board (DDB) value of Php5.6 billion, and the filing of

24,052 cases in courts (Status of implementation of major

programs/projects PNP operations programs 2014).

The Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs

Group (PNP-AIDG) detailed the measures that the agency is

planning to execute in order to solve the country’s

problems on illegal drugs given three to six months’ time.

AIDG Director PSUPT Albert Ferro said the first thing they

will do is to update their database for profiling of drug

users, pushers and runners They will classify their targets

as high-value and low-value so that each group of

operatives can focus on their specific targets. Subjects in

possession of above 100 kilograms of illegal drugs are

classified as level 5 targets. Those in possession of 10

kilograms to 50 kilograms are classified as level 4

targets. Those with 100 grams to 1 kilogram and up are

level 3 targets. While those with 25 grams to 100 grams and

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up are level 2; and considered level 1 are those in

possession of 1 gram to above 5 grams of illegal drugs.

“34% of all crimes in the country are drug-related and 81%

of all heinous crime is drug-related. If we could stop this

illegal drug trade, we could possibly suppress or make the

crimes lower,” Ferro said, the agency will also do an

auditing of all cases that they have filed in court. “We

will do an auditing of the current cases in various courts

so we could know what happened to them. It would also help

us in identifying our counter intelligence against corrupt

prosecutors or those involved in the judiciary in order to

be certain of the charges that we will file in the future,”

explained Ferro. The agency will also conduct massive

information campaign by distributing posters that contain

the bad effects of illegal drugs. Ferro adds that the

supply reduction and demand reduction are two essential

systems in eradicating illegal drugs in the country in

support of the double barrel strategy of the PNP chief. (PNP

reveals steps to solving illegal drug problems 2016)

In Indang, Cavite, the Philippine national police have

intensifying its anti-criminality and war against illegal

drugs after eight barangays of the 36 barangays in this

town have been drug-cleared. Chief Insp. Mark Gatdula, this

town’s acting police chief, said Monday they are seeking

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heightened support from the local government unit (LGU) and

the barangays to eradicate illegal drugs and crimes in the

locality. The local police have eight drug-cleared

barangays, and we want to improve more to clear other

barangays so that the crime rate in this first-class

municipality will go down,” Gatdula assured. The drug-

cleared barangays are GuyamMunti, Harasan, Limbon,

Carasuchi, Tambo Balagbag, Poblacion 3, Kaytambog and

MataasnaLupa with 28 more that are up for drug-clearing

operations (H. Abril, 2017).

In San Pedro, Laguna, there are different reasons why

people get addicted and various levels to which people

become dependent on drugs. Some people start taking them

because of pure curiosity, others so as to improve their

athletic performance or reduce stress and get rid of

depression. It doesn’t matter why people start, the main

thing here is to get help at the right time and not to ruin

their life and health. When people start taking illegal

drugs, with time the way their brain functions and looks is

altered. First of all, drug taking causes elevation of

dopamine level in brain, which results in the feeling of

pleasure. Brain remembers this event and wants it repeated.

So, the drug a person takes eventually reaches the

significance that other physiological needs have. As a

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result, the person’s abilities to think clearly, control

behaviour, exercise good judgment and feel well without

drugs intake becomes affected. This, in its turn, causes

problems in relations with family, friends, at work or in

university. It is extremely important to recognize drug

addiction at the right moment, preferably in the beginning,

so as not to spoil social relationships and health. It is

necessary to understand that the sooner the problem will be

attended, the better it is for the treatment progress.

There are certain symptoms of drug abuse: when drug is

getting people into legal trouble, if because of its people

start neglecting their responsibilities, when they use

drugs under dangerous conditions, and when they cause

problems in relationships (Macarubbo, 2017).

For the years 2014, a total of 18,886 anti-drug

operations of the Philippine National Police were conducted

that the resulted in the arrest of 25,515. Of this figure

8,865 cases were referred to the Prosecutor’s Office, 9,305

were filed in various courts and 716 were under

investigation. Alarmingly, a new review of dismissed drug

cases conducted by Directorate for investigation and

detective management (DIDM) showed a total of 1,538 cases

have been dismissed by the courts as of august 5, 2015.

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Among the grounds for the dismissal of the cases were

attributed to the following: procedure irregularities,

planting of evidence/fabrication, chain of custody failure

to attend court hearings, inconsistent testimonies, failure

of the prosecution to present evidence and failure to

prosecute, insufficiency of evidence, inadmissibility of

the evidence due to illegal warrant served, search and

seizure. Hence, illicit drug trafficking continues to be

perennial problem wreaking havoc society to prosecute

criminal offender involving suspected drug personalities

(National headquarters, Philippine national police

directorate for investigation and detective management,

2015).

The amount of illegal drugs seized from drug suspects

in the Calabarazon region has been increasing despite the

Duterte administration's relentless war on drugs. Chief

Superintendent Edward Carranza, PNP Calabrzon regional

director, noted that most of the illegal drugs nabbed from

suspects in Region 4-A mostly came from Cavite province.It

can be recalled that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency

(PDEA) discovered the smuggling of P6.8 billion worth of

shabu contained in emptied magnetic lifters in Cavite last

August. PDEA later revised its figures and estimated that

the shabu content of the emptied magnetic lifters, whom the

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K9 dogs found positive of containing drugs, is valued at as

much as P11 billion. “'Di po natin maestablish kung 'yun

nga [na galing sa magnetic lifters] ang kumakalat, but

based on our experience, malalaki po 'yung nahuhuli namin.

Dati, mga 1 to 2 grams, 3 to 5 grams. Ngayon may

nahuhulihan na kami ng 100 grams pataas,” Carranza said in

an interview with Balitanghali on Wednesday. “In most of

our arrests... in Laguna, Batangas... sa probinsya ng

Cavite galing ang droga, particularly sa Dasmariñas. Hindi

na lang namin papangalanan ang barangay kung saan nakatutok

ang kapulisan,” Carranza added. Carranza lamented that

those who promised to do away with trafficking illegal

drugs are not really turning their backs on their old ways

since selling drugs remains a viable livelihood. According

to Carranza, each gram of shabu is sold between P1,800 to

P2,000. “Meron 'yung mga nag-plea bargain agreement na 'di

na sila babalik para mapababa sentensiya nila, bumabalik

rin sa pagtutulak ng droga. Wala rin kasing alternative

sources of livelihood,” Carranza said. “'Yung pagbebenta ng

droga ang kanilang source ng daily sustenance, at mayroong

mga nanay at lola na tanggap na na ganun ang

pinagkakakitaan ng mga anak o apo,” Carranza added.

Carranza, however, assured the public that the police would

not waver in its commitment to stamp out illegal drugs, and

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that two to three drug busts are being conducted every week

to ensure that the region will be free from the drug menace

(L. Panti, 2018).

Camp V. Lim, Canlubang, Laguna — The Police Regional

Office 4-A (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon or

Calabarzon) reported the other day that six towns in

Batangas, Laguna, and Quezon are now considered “Drug-

Cleared Municipalities” during an update on Project Double

Barrel Alpha at this camp. Chief Superintendent Camilo

Pancratius P. Cascolan, acting director for Operations of

the PRO4-A, identified these towns validated and certified

as being “drug-cleared” by the Philippine Drug Enforcement

Agency 4-A (PDEA4-A) as San Luis in Batangas; Luisiana,

Cavinti, and Magdalena in Laguna; and Plaridel and Pitogo

in Quezon. Cascolan emphasized that the “Double Barrel

Alpha” is an extended and expanded Double Barrel with more

focus on the accounting of high-value target (HVT)

personalities involved in illegal drugs and progressing

towards the ultimate objective of clearing all drug

affected barangays. He added that Project Tokhang in Double

Barrel Alpha shall not be limited to residences in

barangays but shall have a wider scope such as visitations

of government agencies including the Philippine National

Police (PNP) and jails, schools and universities, posh

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subdivisions, condominiums, places of convergence like

airport; and business enterprises (D. Estacio, 2016).

DILG CALABARZON launched MASA MASID Program;

CALABARZON LNB Presidents undertook drug test. To ensure

that fight against the prevalence of illegal drugs and

corruption in the community is in place, DILG Region IV-A

launched Mamamayang Ayaw as Anomalya, Mamamayang Ayaw sa

Iligal na Droga or MASA MASID on November 10, 2016 at the

Development Academy of the Philippines, Tagaytay City,

Cavite. The creation of MASA MASID Teams and the creation

of Community-Based Rehabilitation Network are among the

deliverables of the program. DILG CALABARZON Regional

Director Manuel Q. Gotis shared that the principle of MASA

MASID is volunteerism. “We encourage community members to

help drug users subject themselves to rehabilitation,” he

said. The Regional MASA MASID Launching was attended by

civic society organizations, LNB City/Municipal Chapter

Presidents, religious leaders and representatives of the

Governors. The invited officials and guests signified their

commitment to the implementation of the program thru their

messages and as manifested by the signing of pledge of

commitment. RD Gotis added “The Department believes that

the barangay government plays a vital role in this endeavor

as they provide frontline services at the grassroots

 The Problem
38

level.” Prior to the MASA MASID launch, the DILG IV-A in

partnership with the CALABARZON Regional Liga ng mga

Barangay (LnB) conducted Consultation Workshop on Crafting

The Anti-Drug Abuse Program of the Liga ng mga Barangay

(LNB) on November 8-9, 2016 at Days Hotel, Tagaytay City.

The members of the Regional Management Coordinating

Committee (RMCC) took the opportunity to meet and to assist

the LnB in preparing their Provincial Action Plan. Said

plan will be implemented in all the barangays of the cities

and municipalities within the region. One of the highlights

of the activity is the collective and voluntary submission

of all LNB City/Municipal Chapter Presidents to undergo

drug test in solidarity with the campaign of President

Duterte. The drug-testing of all LNB Presidents is a

priority program of LNB Regional Chapter President Jose

Erwin C. Esguerra, Sr. “We recognize that drug

proliferation is a major problem and this is our way of

showing our support to the current administration’s thrust

of eliminating of drug menace in the community,” BM

Esguerra said. “This combat against illegal drugs in the

barangay level will only be possible if our barangay

officials are along our side,” RD Gotis added. The results

showed that all the 85 LNB Presidents and DILG personnel

 The Problem
39

tested yield negative results for illegal drugs (De Guzman,

2016).

The Philippine National Police (PNP) CALABARZON's

unique Local Government Units as well as valiant police and

command units under the PNP Regiona IV-A Command, on August

24, 2016 at Camp Vicente Lim, Calamba City, Laguna.

Governor Hermilando I. Mandanas of Batangas was recognized

as a result of this program to further enhance its enhanced

law enforcement services and anti-criminality efforts that

led to the successful implementation of oplan double barrel

in the province. The award is part of the 115th Police

Service Anniversary Celebration, with the theme "Challenge

of Change, Supported Service". PNP Director-General Ronald

"Bato" M. Dela Rosa, chaired by PNP Director-General,

welcomed the commemoration and commended LGUs and PNP

personnel and Support units that have set a good program on

the implementation of peace and order programs with the PNP

in their provinces. The program features the PNP's

accomplishments in the implementation of the Oplan Double

Barrel or the drug resistance directive by President

Rodrigo Roa Duterte. In response to the PNP Units in the

CALABRZON Region and Local Chief Executives of the

municipalities and provinces, Chief PNP dela Rosa gave his

heartfelt thanks to these and extended local leaders to his

 The Problem
40

strong dedication to suppress drugs but all aspects of

crime. The Batangas PNP Command has also appointed one of

the Outstanding Police Provincial Police Office's effective

programs against loose firearms, particularly in the past

national and local elections and has the most number of

Surrendered Suspected Drug Personalities under Project

Tukhang./ BatangasPIO: Edwin V. Zabarte (V. Balita, 2016).

The Adbokasya Barkada Kontra Droga (ABAKADA), a

brainchild of Batangas Philippine National Police (PNP)

provincial director lawyer Rosauro Asio, is a police

advocacy campaign in partnerships with the Dangerous Drugs

Board (DDB) and the Department of Education (DepEd). In an

interview by Francis Bilowan (2013) with PNA Calabarzon,

Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) officer Police

Inspector Alberto Fabregas explained innovations for its

anti-illegal drug campaign when the police gathered some

250 high school student leaders from 16 national high

schools in the province recently. Inspector Fabregas said

the one-day seminar workshop at the Batangas auditorium

tapped the supreme student council leaders in the secondary

schools to serve as the peer core groups (barkada) and lead

coordinators to sustain the program. Under the police DARE

anti-narcotics project, the students undergo seminars and

trainings on drug education and information, the “evils” of

 The Problem
41

dangerous drugs and how they can avoid use of illegal

drugs. “After the training, these student leaders serve as

trainors in their respective schools to instill drug

education and information and help us stamp out illegal

drugs in campuses,” Fabregas elaborated. He discussed

further that Batangas province would soon establish the

“barkada” center in each police station similar to the

police child and welfare desk. Similar barkada centers

would be set up in each school or college and the community

to serve as information and help desks. The police drug

resistance educator disclosed the continuing program would

be launched next month in the first district of Batangas

comprising the towns of Taal on March 4 and subsequently in

Balayan, Calaca, Calatagan, Lemery, Lian, Nasugbu and Tuy.

The DARE officer said PNP Batangas aims to target the

multi-sectors, non-government organizations and would

include colleges and universities this time with the

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) partnership.

BIÑAN CITY, Laguna “Illegal drugs and criminality are

not welcome in Biñan!”This was the emphatic message the

city government led by Mayor Walfredo R. Dimaguila Jr. sent

out to all concerned sectors and key stakeholders, as it

recalibrated its own “Oplan Salikop,” the local counterpart

 The Problem
42

of “Oplan Tokhang” now being implemented by the Philippine

National Police.

“Our goal is to eradicate crime and illegal drugs in

Biñan’s 24 barangays through an intensified lockdown

operation or what we call Oplan Salikop,” Dimaguila

explained. “Oplan Salikop is actually a three-way

partnership that involves the Office of the City Mayor, the

PNP, and local barangay officials.” Initially, Oplan

Salikop was implemented in January this year in Barangay

Malaban where high-value drug personalities once

proliferated and peddled their illegal trade with impunity.

But with the setting up of strategic police and barangay

outposts, which is a major feature of Oplan Salikop, in

nine major areas, including entry and exit points to and

from this coastal barangay, Malaban has been declared drug-

free. “This is a major achievement for all the parties

involve because it only goes to prove that the drug

problem, at least in Biñan, can be solved without firing a

shot or shedding blood. We are slowly hitting our targets

against criminal elements one barangay at a time,” the

mayor points out. The city government has also put in place

a comprehensive rehabilitation and livelihood training

program for all former drug dependents through community-

based initiatives together with the City Health Office, the

 The Problem
43

Department of Health, and other concerned institutions.

Today, Oplan Salikop is moving into high gear as local

city, police, and barangay officials in Biñan prepares to

replicate the Malaban success story in the entire City of

Biñan which is composed of 24 barangays. With its high-tech

Command Center as well as a brand-new fleet of police cars

and mobile patrol vehicles, the City of Biñan is keen on

upping the ante of its own Oplan Salikop campaign,

particularly in terms of optimized police and barangay

visibility and its corresponding overall quick response and

crime-fighting capability. After all, it was Mayor

Dimaguila himself who openly declared that illegal drugs

and criminality are not welcome in his beloved Biñan (R.

Tomandao, 2017).

Objectives of the study

Generally, the main objective of this research is to

determine the impact of the illegal drugs use and abuse in

San Pablo City, Laguna. Additionally to determine the

effects of the despite and fight for use of illegal drugs

and this is the one of today’s more serious social illness

to our community.

Specifically, the objectives of this research study

is to determine the Effectiveness of the Philippine

National Police as a support group on implementation of R.A

 The Problem
44

9165 otherwise known as Comprehensive dangerous drugs act

of 2002, additionally to determine the strategies and

programs of the PNP to reduce criminality involving drugs

and to prevent crimes.

Significant of the study

The proponent believes that this research study would

be beneficial to the following.

Community. This research study helps them to know the

different tactics of the Philippine National Police in

combating illegal drug use and abuse in San Pablo that

maintain the high standard and quality performance of the

PNP personnel. This also provides proposed tactics that the

Philippine National Police can be performed for maintenance

of their profession to enforce the law and also may help

them to lessen the crime committed in the community

involving drug use and abuse.

Respondents, this may provide to them knowledge about

how the Philippine National Police become effective to

combating an illegal drugs and other crime involving drugs

and to have idea about issues regarding the effectiveness

of the PNP in the community and also understand the

situation outside the community.

Researcher, it may help to have knowledge about the

effectiveness of the PNP in implementation of the law about

 The Problem
45

illegal drugs and crime prevention within the place they

are studying and they can also help them to acquire

knowledge about the Police officer’s performance.

Government, this study will reveal the real; situation

of effective Police force of the PNP to despite and fight

for illegal drugs and crime prevention of police officers

in San Pablo City, Laguna.

Law enforcement, this will help them to uplift their

capability as law enforcement this will serve as their

dedication on their profession.

Community, it will help them to be aware what Police

department does in conducting operation and investigation

process about illegal drugs, and also to know the people of

the community that they are doing their duties and

responsibilities to secure the lives of the people and also

their property.

Law enforcement agencies, this will help them to know

the effectiveness of the PNP as a support group in

combating illegal drugs and crime prevention of Police

officer in San Pablo City, Laguna.

Theoretical Framework

This study was adapted on the following theories that

purposively and intently guide the researcher study.

 The Problem
46

Gate way theory of effects it’s exist, has at least

two potential and quite different sources first is

interpretation it is the effect of drugs to itself. Trying

marijuana increase the taste for another drugs and may

lead to the user to believe that other substance are more

pleasurable or less risky than previously supposed and

second is stresses peer groups and social interaction.

Acquiring and using marijuana regularly later may lead to

drug dependence associating with peers who have attitude

and behaviors that are produce by drugs. Generally not only

marijuana but possibility that those peers will include

people who sell other drugs, reducing the difficulties of

locating potential supplies. Then legalization might reduce

the likelihood of moving on to harder drugs compared to

current situation (Maccoun, 2009).

National anti-drugs strategy theory (NADS) is

providing a focused approach to reducing the demand for

supply of illicit drugs as well as addressing the crime

associated with legal drugs, leading to safer and healthier

communities, this strategy developed a treatment action

plan that emphasizes among the priorities the need for

illicit drug problem and help these in need (Menard, 2008).

Conceptual Framework
 The Problem
47

This study is intended to determine the effectiveness

of the Philippine National Police in San Pablo City as a

support group in implementing R.A 9165 in terms of Illegal

drug prevention, Investigation process and Strategies and

programs of the Philippine National Police.

Illegal Drug Prevention

A longitudinal pilot study gathered data on the onset

and prevention of drug abuse among 526 students from two

junior-high-schools in California. Over two school years,

students who were trained to resist special pressures

toward drug abuse began smoking at less than one-half the

rate of those who did not receive special training. Common

marijuana use was also less dominant among students who

received such training (McAlister, et al, 2011).

Illegal drug prevention of Drug Enforcement

Administration (DEA) creates programs to reduce

availability of illegal drugs in the U.S (United State) and

creates educational programs to prevent drug abuse in the

U.S. under the Demand Reduction Program. Monitors legally

manufactured medicines to prevent their diversion to

illegal markets. Maintains a most wanted Fugitives list of

international drug offenders. Assists victims and witnesses

of drug crimes through the (VWAP) Victim-Witness Assistance

Program (DEA, Drug Enforcement Administration, 2018).

 The Problem
48

Illegal drug prevention of Dug Policy Alliance is to

use a Decriminalization means to lessening of criminal

penalties in relation to certain acts, perhaps

retroactively, though perhaps regulated permits or fines

might still apply. The Decriminalization is the removal of

criminal penalties for drug law violations usually

possession for personal use and decriminalizing possession

and investing in treatment and harm reduction services, we

can reduce the harms of drug misuse while improving public

safety and health. For the purpose of reducing the number

of people arrested, decreasing the number of people

incarcerated, growing uptake into drug treatment,

decreasing criminal justice costs and transmitting (Drug

Policy Alliance, 2015).

Investigation Process

Investigation is a process designed to gather

information and collect facts. In the workplace,

investigations are administrative in nature and are

naturally undertaken to determine if wrongdoing has

occurred. The objectives and scope of investigation vary

widely, but their overruling purpose is always to find out

the relevant facts. This is accomplished by interviewing

people, revising records and gathering data, information

and document. The investigation cover wide range of issue

 The Problem
49

and are introduced is response to specific accusations of

wrong doing or supposed wrongdoings of suspected person

(Investigation protocol, 2016).

Investigation process addresses the needs of today’s

private sector investigative expert by providing a full-

spectrum treatment of the investigative process,

Investigative skills such as surveillance techniques,

interviewing and interrogation, collecting and documenting

evidence, and taking confessions and written statements are

all deliberated, and improved with updated case

(Sennewald,2015).

Investigation process has been a major push in speech-

making and institution-building, underlining the centrality

of attacking the financial lifeblood of drug trafficking

networks and organized economic crimes. Much progress has

been made in creation of financial intelligence units.

However, easier guidance is needed on how to get

information overseas, and delays in international

cooperation lead to under-exploitation of financial

investigation opportunities. Whether police, civilian or

trained accountants need to be embedded with operational

and intelligence units, so that they are taken in early

sufficient to support the investigation as well as to take

away proceeds of crime. Investigation and proceeds

 The Problem
50

retrieval can impact upon public assurance and the behavior

of financial mediators as well as drug offenders. Criminal

finance analysis can be used effectively to target the most

harmful networks in local that are the most liable to the

illegal drugs (Levi, 2013).

Operation

Policing operation are sometimes thought of as falling

into four categories: standard policing, community

policing, problem-oriented policing, and hot spots

policing. These categories are based on the Weisburd and

Eck (2014) conceptual model of law enforcement strategies,

which classifies strategies based on the diversity of

interventions used, and the level of focus. The diversity

of interventions refers to the number of different

approaches used to address the problem, including those

carried out by the police as well as other partners who can

play a key role in addressing community problems. For

example, a problem-oriented–partnership-policing approach

could include a law enforcement–housing services

collaboration in which inspectors clean up problem areas

and buildings in high-crime areas. Strategies that rely on

a more diverse set of tactics are thought to be more

effective than those that rely on a smaller number of

tactics. The level of focus refers to the extent to which

 The Problem
51

the police rely on generic approaches or those that are

focused on certain people, places, times, or specific

offense types. Focused interventions are thought to be more

effective than more generic approaches.

The American Operation approach to drug control is

conditioned by several national characteristics, including

fragmentation of the law enforcement system, a 12,000-mile

international boundary and a legal system that restricts

police authority to search, arrest, detain, eavesdrop and

maintain intelligence files. Drug problems in the United

States, though, are by all accounts greater than in any

other country. Enforcement has traditionally emphasized

street-level arrests, investigation of distribution

networks, crop eradication and smuggling interdiction.

These practices can be shown to produce arrests and

seizures, but there is little evidence to show that they

reduce drug supply or drug abuse. More contemporary and

promising approaches include community policing, problem-

oriented policing, financially oriented investigations,

increased international co-operation and a renewed emphasis

on drug demand reduction. The most pressing needs in law

enforcement are (a) improved intelligence-gathering and

analysis and (b) research on the illicit drug industry and

 The Problem
52

on the effectiveness of drug control strategies (B, Narc,

2010).

Law enforcement operation like seizing drugs and

arresting those who import, manufacture, grow and/or

distribute these drugs is often viewed as the most

important purpose of drug law enforcement. This view is

certainly strong in popular media depictions of organized

drug criminals. Unfortunately, the reality is perhaps far

less entertaining or straightforward, although just as, if

not more, important. While there is no doubt that a key

role of drug law enforcement is to remove drugs and high-

risk offenders from the community, the most critical factor

is what this actually achieves in the longer term. That is,

a community that is less burdened by the impact of drugs,

such as crime, illness, injury and death. Increasingly,

there is both internal and external pressure on drug law

enforcement to demonstrate not just how much work they do

(the seizures and arrests), but how well they do it (the

community impacts) something that has so far proven very

difficult (P. Homel, 2011).

Research paradigm

This study is intended to determine the effectiveness

of the Philippine national police San Pablo as a support

group in implementing R.A 9165 in includes illegal drug

 The Problem
53

prevention and programs, investigation procedure and

operation to help gain knowledge about R.A 9165. The

independent variables compered of the study the level of

effectiveness of the Philippine national police San Pablo

as a support group in implementing R.A 9165 in terms of

illegal drug prevention and programs, investigation

procedure and operation. The Significant difference on the

Significance difference on the assessment of respondents on

the effectiveness of Philippine National Police as a

support group in implementation of R.A 9165 in San Pablo

City, while the dependent variable is the Philippine

National Police San Pablo as a support group in

implementation of R.A 9165 and the community serve as the

moderator variable.

Independent Variables Dependent Variables

The national police San Pablo

Statement of the Problem: as a support group in
1. What is the level of implementing R.A 9165
effectiveness of the Philippine
national police San Pablo as a
support group in implementing
R.A 9165 in terms of:
1.1 Illegal drug prevention
and programs;
1.2 Investigation procedure;
and
1.3 Operation

2. What are the Significance

difference on the assessment of Action plan
respondents on the effectiveness
of PNP as a support group in
implementing of R.A 9165 in terms
of:
2.1 Illegal drug prevention
and programs;
2.2 Investigation
procedure; and
2.3 Operation
 The Problem
54

Moderator Variable

Community members in San Pablo

City

Figure.1 Research Paradigm

 The Problem
55

Statement of the Problem:

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the

Philippine national police as a support group on

implementation of R.A 9165 in San Pablo City.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following

question:

1. What is the level of effectiveness of the Philippine

National Police San Pablo as a support group in

implementing R.A 9165 in terms of:

1.1 Illegal drug prevention and programs;

1.2 Investigation procedure; and

1.3 Operation

2. Is there a significant difference on the assessment of

respondents on the effectiveness of PNP as a support

group in implementing of R.A 9165 in terms of:

2.1 Illegal drug prevention and programs;

2.2 Investigation procedure; and

2.3 Operation

Hypothesis

The recommendations are being suggested to

enhance the capability of the Philippine National

Police in combating illegal drugs in San Pablo City,

Laguna.
 The Problem
56

3. What are the factors affecting PNP personnel in the

failure to combat illegal drug use and abuse?

4. What recommendation maybe proposed to enhance the

effectiveness of PNP San Pablo in combating illegal

drug user?

Definition of Term

To have better understanding of the different terms in

the study, the researchers provide the following definition

as to how they were used in the study:

Illegal Drug use. Is a patterned use of a drug in

which the user consumes the substance in amounts or with

methods which are harmful to themselves or others, and is a

form of substance-related disorder

Illegal Drug abuse. This is the habitual taking of

addictive or illegal drugs.

Investigation process. Is a progression of activities

or steps moving from evidence gathering task, to

information analysis, to theory development and validation,

to forming reasonable ground to believed, and finally to

the arrest and charge of a suspect.

Buy bust operation. Undercover operation by narcotics

detectives to catch unsuspecting drug dealers. Undercover

operation - an operation involving secret work within a

community or institution.
 The Problem
57

Oplan Tokhang. To knock on a suspected drug trafficker

or drug addict's home to persuade them to surrender and

stop their illegal activities.