More than P13 billion worth of shabu and ephedrine have been seized and 143 local drug groups have been neutralized since the intensified campaign against illegal drugs was launched by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last June 16.

In a report submitted to Malacaņang by the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AID-SOT), Task Force Commander Police Deputy Director General Edgar Aglipay said that during the six month period, 23,425 drug offenders have been arrested, of which 16,651 cases have been filed in court.

Aglipay said that the AID-SOT raided and knocked out of operation 16 shabu factories, clandestine laboratories and shabu warehouses or storage facilities while clearing 3,571 drug-affected barangays in half a year of operation.

"These figures only show that the President is really serious when she declared that she herself will lead the war against illegal drugs, that she will bring the war to the barangays and go after the high and mighty who are behind the proliferation of drugs in our society," Aglipay said.

He said that the Camp Crame-based task force showed the way, netting the biggest combined seizure by any single law enforcement unit in the entire history of the anti-drug campaign,

In only six months, he said, the task force knocked out of operation seven shabu laboratories and four shabu warehouses in Metro Manila and Cavite while intercepting one ton of ephedrine at the Manila International Container Port.

It also arrested and charged in court 43 persons, 19 of them Chinese nationals who are members of transnational drug groups and three are policemen engaged in drug pushing.

The task force confiscated 2,090 kilos of shabu, 5,368 kilos of ephedrine and large quantities of essential chemicals and laboratory equipment used in manufacturing shabu, the combined value of which would amount to P12.77 billion .

In the campaign against transnational groups, local police units have neutralized four shabu laboratories and one storage facility, bringing the number of neutralized shabu factories to 11, shabu warehouses or storage facilities to five and the value of the drug haul to more than P13 billion.

Going beyond statistics, Aglipay said that based on the feedback that the task force is getting, he believes the campaign is wreaking havoc on the operations of the drug syndicates and has made drastic changes in the overall drug scenario.

"Compared to six months ago, the current street price of illegal drugs, particularly shabu, has increased sharply," he said. "Drugs are no longer as readily accessible. Drug users are also complaining that the drugs circulating in the market are no longer as potent as before."

He attributed this to the successive raids the task force conducted on shabu laboratories and warehouses where more than five tons of ephedrine and large quantities of essential chemicals in manufacturing shabu were confiscated. Aglipay said the shabu being sold now are stale for lack of ingredients.

Aglipay pointed out that there has also been a decrease in the incidence of drug-related crimes.

"Rehabilitation centers are registering an increase in the number of patients, proof that we are developing awareness on treatment and rehabilitation of drug abusers," he said.

Aglipay also noted that there is a sharp increase in the number of NGOs and civic groups actively engaged in anti-drug activities.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s initiatives to attune national government policies to investment opportunities and economic development have enabled the Philippines to regain investor confidence.

This improved investor confidence and business climate is shown by the recent signing of a joint venture agreement among the Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corporation (PNOC-EC) PetroEnergy Resources Corporation Malaysia’s Petronas Carigali Overseas Sdn Bhd to explore oil and gas prospects in offshore Mindoro.

Petronas Carigali is the overseas exploration and production arm of Petronas, Malaysia’s national oil company.

PNOC-EC president and chief executive officer Rufino Bomasang said that there is no better synergy than having our own ASEAN neighbor partnering with the Philippines for oil exploration.

"There is nothing better than having our own neighbor partnering with us for hopeful petroleum discovery. We see a strategic combination of the Petronas technical and financial resources with the local exploration experience of PNOC-EC being involved in oil and gas activities across the Philippines," he said.

The Mindoro exploration block is covered by Geophysical Survey and Exploration Contract (GSEC) No. 100 with the Department of Energy.

After signing the deal, PNOC-EC, PetroEnergy and Petronal Carigali will file a new service contract with the DOE, replacing GSEC, which will expire on January 13, 2004.

The PNOC-EC said that three companies have committed to drill on exploratory well and an optional well in the contract area. The contract will also include geological and geophysical studies and a possible seismic survey.

The filing of a new service contract (SC) is in compliance with the DOE’s present guidelines for new contract applications. The proposed SC for offshore Mindoro will have a sever-year exploration period.

Bomasang said that the work program proposed by the joint venture partners can be completed during the first two years of the SC, after which the consortium can decide to proceed into the third and fourth year of the contract.

Offshore Mindoro is PNOC-EC’s most attractive exploration acreage in terms of petroleum potential. The area has the richest source of rocks in the country.

A well drilled by the PNOC in 1994, Maniguin 2, is considered the most significant oil discovery outside of northwest Palawan.