The Duterte administration’s war on illegal drugs has resulted in the arrest of 9,350 high value targets while 5,722 suspects died during operations since 2016.

Data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Wednesday showed that from July 1, 2016 to May 31, 2020, they conducted 168, 525 anti-illegal drug operations which resulted in the arrest of 245, 135 suspects, including 9,350 high value targets.

Some of the arrested high value targets were 376 government employees, 320 elected officials, 90 uniformed personnel and 261 foreigners.

Meanwhile, operatives also rescued 3,160 minors who got involved in illegal drugs.

Operatives dismantled 546 drug dens and 14 clandestine laboratories. Seized during their operations were P43.58 billion worth of illegal drugs where P34.18 billion came from confiscated shabu.

On drug cleared barangay, PDEA said out of the total 42, 045 barangays, 18, 582 were cleared. Some 15, 388 barangays have yet to be cleared.

Last June 30, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, in his video speech to the 44th meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), said the government has created an inter-agency panel to evaluate some 5,000 drug-related police operations that resulted in deaths.

The UNHRC has been criticizing President Rodrigo Duterte for his “war on drugs” campaign.

Guevarra said the panel will come up with a report by November.

“We have established an inter-agency panel chaired by my office that is conducting a judicious review of the 5,655 anti-illegal drug operations where deaths occurred,” he said.

Guevarra chairs the inter-agency panel. Other members include the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat, the Presidential Management Staff (PMS), the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

After his statement was branded as “deeply flawed”, Guevarra said human rights groups should allow the panel “to do what it has set out to do, and reserve judgment at the proper time”. Ella Dionisio/DMS