By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan

VOLUNTARY SURRENDER. A 52-year-old resident of Barangay Busdak in Patnanungan, Quezon voluntarily turns over suspected illegal drugs to police on Saturday (May 16, 2026). The recovered substances weighed about 6,514.7 grams and had an estimated street value of PHP34.5 million. (Photo courtesy of PNP)

MANILA – Authorities confiscated PHP101.13 million worth of illegal drugs and arrested 101 suspects in nationwide operations conducted from May 7 to 14.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Isagani Nerez said the agency carried out 109 operations across the country during the period.

“This was not just a series of arrests; it was a strategic dismantling of the drug apparatus that destroys our communities,” Nerez said in a statement.

Seized during the operations were 12 kilograms of shabu, nearly 73,980 fully grown marijuana plants, and pharmaceutical-grade narcotics often diverted for illegal use.

Of those arrested, 25 were identified as drug pushers, 39 as possessors, 22 as couriers, and three as alleged drug den operators.

All suspects will face charges under Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

PDEA said the confiscated items are now in government custody for forensic examination and will be presented as evidence in court proceedings.

Intel-driven ops

In a separate statement, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reaffirmed its commitment to sustain intelligence-driven anti-drug operations.

The statement came following the seizure of around PHP61 million worth of illegal drugs in a series of operations conducted nationwide on Saturday.

“The instruction is to conduct relentless operations while making sure that police operational procedures are strictly followed and the rule of law, particularly on human rights, are fully respected,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said.

On Saturday, authorities in Quezon province recovered about 6.5 kilograms of suspected cocaine worth more than PHP34.5 million after a fisherman reported finding sealed plastic bags along the shoreline.

In Negros Oriental, police arrested a high-value target and confiscated more than one kilogram of suspected shabu valued at nearly PHP7 million during a buy-bust operation.

Separate operations in Bacolod City led to the arrest of three suspects and the seizure of around one kilogram of suspected shabu worth PHP6.8 million. In Zamboanga City, authorities confiscated about two kilograms of suspected shabu valued at PHP13.6 million. (PNA)