US pats PHL back for wiping out shabu ‘super labs' but…

The United States has lauded the Philippines’ “success" in stamping out “super laboratories" of shabu – the country’s number one illegal drug – but at the same time pointed to the continuing problems of corruption, inefficiency, and shortages as hindrances in the fight against illegal substances. In its 2011 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, the US State Department said the Philippines has successfully eliminated large-scale clandestine laboratories of shabu, or methamphetamine hydrochloride, that law enforcers discovered in previous years within its territory. But the problem of smaller-scale labs remained. “During 2010, no ‘super’ labs were detected; transnational criminal groups have apparently moved to establish smaller-scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratories that are typically easier to conceal," the annual report said. The State Department report, which is used by the US government as a basis for extending financial aid, noted the Philippines’ efforts to institutionalize the fight against illegal drugs, citing its counter-narcotics master plan called the National Anti-Drug Strategy. Govt efforts still hampered The report, however, notes problems that “continue to hamper government efforts to investigate and prosecute higher echelons of drug trafficking organizations operating in the Philippines." These problems include the lack of law enforcement resources, the slow pace of judicial and investigative reform, and the lack of interagency cooperation. The report cited the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the country’s lead counter-narcotics agency, which “continues to be hampered by lack of personnel and resources; some of its staff consists of officers on loan from other agencies." “However, despite these resource and institutional limitations, Philippine law enforcement agencies continue to pursue drug traffickers aggressively. This effort, together with drug education and rehabilitation initiatives, has led to positive results in reducing drug abuse and drug trafficking in the Philippines," the report explained. Challenging the Philippine government to put an end to the trade of illegal drugs, the report added that transnational drug traffickers continue to smuggle shabu from other countries into the country. “During 2010, the majority of the seized methamphetamine in the Philippines appeared to have been from foreign origin," it added. The report also noted the use of the Philippines as a drug transshipment point, with 12 couriers detected and arrested in 2010 for attempting to leave the Philippines “with relatively small quantities of drugs." “Numerous arrests in South America and Asia during 2010 showed an increasing trend of Philippine citizens acting as drug couriers. It appears that these couriers were employed by international drug syndicates," said the report. The U.S. law on foreign operations appropriations generally prohibits the provision of aid to any country that has “failed demonstrably" in the fight against illegal drugs.—Paterno Esmaquel II/JV, GMA News