Government urged to stop drug flow from China

A Mindanao congressman urged President Arroyo yesterday to try to stop the flow of shabu from China so her war against illegal drugs could succeed.

Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri (Lakas, Bukidnon) said the campaign against illicit drugs would fail "if the shabu pipeline that originates from China will continue to gush."

He said the President can start by calling to Beijing’s attention her government’s concern over the fact that those exporting shabu and operators of most of the drug factories here are Chinese nationals.

"We have to cut it from the source, and if we succeed in doing that, a big part of the drug problem will have been solved," he said.

Zubiri, vice chairman of the House oversight committee on illegal drugs, also urged the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to bust the more than 200 drug syndicates that it has identified.

"It has to move now and fast. We want to see some accomplishments," he said.

He said the new drug agency is not starting from scratch since it has subsumed the Philippine National Police Anti-Narcotics Group.

In fact, PDEA’s list of drug syndicates was based on reports of this PNP unit, he added. – Jess Diaz