PNP says P44-B drugs seized since January 2025
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) confiscated a total of P44-billion worth of illegal drugs in operations since January 2025.
This was according to new PNP chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III in a Palace briefing on Wednesday.
“We have high-value targets as well as street-level targets that we are acting on,” Torre said.
“And now, if you’ll see, our confiscation of drugs is actually very big, despite it not being given media mileage, the arrests and the operations we’ve conducted,” he added.
Further, Torre claimed the national police force’s total drug haul so far was “bigger than the whole drug war.” Although, he did not immediately provide the statistics to back his claim.
READ: PNP chief Torre’s anti-drug strategy: Ramp up ‘legal’ arrests
More arrests
“Now, we’re hoping that this is my new challenge to our police: arrest them, bring them to the fiscal, raise your hands in your affidavits and convince the fiscal that the suspects are guilty and that they should be jailed,” Torre added.
READ: Order to make more arrests not meant to encourage illegal shortcuts – Torre
Earlier this week, in a press briefing after assuming office, Torre said his new strategy toward fighting illegal drugs and crime in general was to have officers make as many arrests as possible.
The Commission on Human Rights then expressed concern that the directive may lead to abuse, to which Torre assured police officers would follow the law and that disciplinary mechanisms are available to the public. /cb
