'PDEA one of top 10 least corrupt agencies'

MANILA, Philippines - The US government, through its embassy in the country, yesterday lauded the efforts and accomplishments of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in its campaign against illegal drugs, PDEA chief Dionisio Santiago said yesterday.

Santiago also announced that a 2009 Global Competitiveness Survey Report “listed PDEA as one of the Top 10 least corrupt agencies in the Philippines”.

Leslie Basset, charges d’affaires of the US embassy, in a courtesy visit at the PDEA offices on Northside NIA Road in Quezon City, cited the gains made by the Philippines against the drug menace. At the meeting, Basset acknowledged the PDEA as one of her government’s major law enforcement partners in fighting the drug problem, emphasizing that the drug campaign is a top priority of both the US and Philippine governments as it threatens the security and stability of both nations. Basset also cited the agency’s strong leadership under Santiago and the institutional reforms he initiated. She also pledged the continuation of training opportunities and programs for PDEA officers and personnel, said Santiago.     

Santiago furthered that the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) for 2010 authored by the American Department of State Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs cited PDEA’s contribution to the war on drugs.

“The PDEA has made a great effort to improve its public image and has implemented internal policing of its agent workforce,” the INCSR report said. “These successes were credited to the continuous internal cleansing process we instituted at the PDEA,” said Santiago in a statement.