April 22 (2)

Attn: Editorial desk

From: Zaida Delos Reyes-Palanca w/ Rose Anne Valledo

April 22

Story 6: PDEA// PDEA issues warning for all travelers….

FOLLOWING series of reports on the arrest of drug couriers transmitting illegal drugs from one places to another, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) yesterday issued warning for all Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) including seafarers and Filipino Nationals travelling abroad to take all necessary precaution to avoid involvement in illegal drug smuggling or trafficking.

The warning was made by PDEA Director General Sr. Undersecretary Dionisio R. Santiago as he expressed deep concern over the increasing number of Filipinos who are wittingly enticed by West African Drug Syndicates (WADS) members to become drug couriers.

Another alarming story is a story of a Japanese National that was executed in China on April 6,2010 when he was caught on smuggling 2.5 kilos of Narcotics from China to Japan in 2006.

The PDEA repeatedly issued Travel Advisories since 2008 for all Filipino travelers not to accommodate any request to carry baggage from strangers because these may contain dangerous drugs.

The PDEA Chief further advised travelers to personally inspect the contents before agreeing to bring any baggage by request because of big possibility that Filipinos caught transporting illegal drugs can be meted the death penalty even if they did not know they were carrying such dangerous substances.

Santiago said, with or without knowledge, this incidences are damaging to the country’s reputation for in fact strict restrictions are now being imposed against Filipino travelers due to their involvement in illegal drug smuggling.

“PDEA will continue issuing this advisory to safeguard all travelers from suffering the same fate as the Filipinos who either died of are languishing in jail in China and other foreign countries for drug trafficking,” Santiago explained.

Santiago clarified that for those who willfully allowed themselves to be utilized as drug couriers despite repeated warnings through travel advisories, the government will no longer interveneto their case.

“We will recommend that the Philippine government will no longer intervene in their cases. A number of those caught transporting illegal drugs were proven to be knowledgeable of their acts,” Santiago said.(Zaida Delos Reyes-Palanca and Rose Anne Valledo)