Senator Raffy Tulfo on Monday called on the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to create a program that would train its personnel to become experts in drug mule profiling.
During Monday’s hearing in the Senate on the proposed budget of PDEA for 2025, Tulfo suggested that PDEA, as a lead agency in fighting illegal drugs in the country, must train its personnel abroad.
“Have training from other countries on how to profile a drug mule and then train personnel from Bureau of Immigration, customs, airport police and others,” Tulfo said.
“You don’t have that kind of system, so every day, drug mules can sneak out, especially if they are carrying cocaine.
He related that local canines can’t smell cocaine. “So the drug mules carrying cocaine can enter the Philippines in that case,” he added.
PDEA Usec. Moro Virgilio M. Lazo said PDEA personnel do not have training in drug mule profiling. He also admitted the agency’s canines lack training in detecting cocaine, opium, and heroin.
In the same hearing, Senator Ronald Dela Rosa urged the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to release to the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) the P126 million total fund it obtained as mandatory contribution remittances from various government agencies.
“That is a very small amount, why should it be denied to you (DDB)? We are making a law but the DBM does not want to follow it. They are the ones violating the law. Otherwise, let’s not have a budget hearing here if you (DBM) don’t want to follow what Congress is doing,” Dela Rosa said.
The Senate is hearing the DDB’s P504.2-million proposed budget for 2025.
