Duterte still trusts Customs chief Lapeña amid entry of P6.8B shabu
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte still trusts Customs chief Isidro Lapeña despite the entry of an estimated P6.8 billion worth of shabu or methamphetamine in the country, Malacañang said Monday.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the recent discovery of several magnetic lifters prove that smugglers have new ways of bringing in contraband. He said the new modus operandi of smugglers made the detection of drug contraband difficult.
"It shows that our enemies in the war on drugs are really sophisticated because they use magnetic lifters that the x-ray cannot detect," Roque said.
"I think the president's trust on General Lapeña remains intact," he added.
Roque said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency also enjoys the trust and confidence of the president. Duterte wants the Customs bureau to coordinate closely with PDEA to identify the people who facilitated the entry of shabu, the presidential spokesman said.
"General Lapeña came from PDEA so there is no reason for these two agencies not to have closer coordination. We have to put an end to this and identify who are behind this so we can trace them and run after the drugs that entered the country if there are any."
Roque said Duterte is "raring" to apply the full force of the law against those behind the entry of the contraband. He also cited the need to be vigilant against international syndicates behind the importation of shabu into the country.
"What he wants is to suppress it (smuggling) to put an end to this practice," the presidential spokesman said.
"But it clearly shows that the problem has an international aspect because these imports from other countries," he added.
While admitting that the new strategies of smugglers make it challenging for authorities to monitor illegal drugs, Roque admitted that the Customs may need to reexamine the way it performs its operations.
"Who would think that they (drugs) would be inserted in an equipment that will make it undetectable? So short of opening all shipment, which is impossible. Perhaps we need to review the system of the Customs," he said.
Last week, PDEA agents seized several magnetic lifters that are being used as illegal drug containers at a warehouse in General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite. Dogs detected traces of narcotics in the empty lifters which were believed to have contained about P6.8 billion worth of shabu.
PDEA believes that corrupt Customs officials connived with smugglers to facilitate the entry of the contraband. The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission will conduct a parallel probe on the issue.
Last year, the Customs bureau got embroiled in a controversy after it was discovered that P6.4 billion worth of shabu from China entered the country. — Alexis Romero
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