PA to conduct follow-up investigation on servicemen included in President Duterte's drug list

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 7): PA to conduct follow-up investigation on servicemen included in President Duterte's drug list

Should any bona fide members of the Philippine Army be included in President Rodrigo Roa Duterte's illegal drug-lists, the PA is more than willing to conduct an immediate follow-up investigation on the matter.

This was stressed by Army spokesperson Col. Benjamin Hao when asked by the PNA what the PA intends to do should any of its personnel be implicating or named in the Chief Executive's illegal drug lists.

The latter was released by the President during a speech in Davao City late Saturday night.

"The PA will make an immediate follow-up investigation on the listed names release by our President especially those names that might be under the supervision of the PA," he added.

Hao also assures the public that the Army does not tolerate illegal drug users in its ranks.

He cited as example four PA personnel now undergoing dishonorable discharge proceedings after being found positive for illegal drugs use.

These four were among the 13 initially found positive for drug use during a random drug test last July 5 where 2,500 PA personnel in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City took part.

Hao added that the four were among the 13 officers and enlisted personnel initially taken to a Quezon City medical facility for confirmation tests after illegal drugs residue were detected in their urine samples.

Hao did not identify the four but said they are now custodial isolation while being subjected to intelligence debriefing aimed at establishing the extent of their drug involvement within the service.

The PA spokesperson said the four will get nothing from the government as involvement in illegal drugs means the forfeiture of all their benefits.

Meanwhile, the two lieutenant colonels, a major, two staff sergeants, a sergeant, a corporal, a private first class and a private whose urine samples have yielded traces of drugs, have been cleared of being users of illegal drugs.

This after confirmatory tests showed that the nine were established to be undergoing medications.

As this develops, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said military units will now be supporting the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in its anti-drug operations.

This is in line with Duterte's order to support the PDEA in its mandated tasks, he added.

"One of the marching orders given to me by the President is to help the PDEA, so we will now have troops (and units) on stand-by to help PDEA Director Isidro Lapena in case they encounter heavily-armed drug perpetrators and require support or reinforcement," he said in Filipino.

In line with this, Lorenzana added that he has open all military camps, especially the big ones, for the establishment of the drug rehabilitation centers as stated by the President in his first State of the Nation Address.

Camps under this category are Fort Magsaysay in Palayan City, Nueva Ecja; Camp Macario Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz; Camp Kibaritan in Bukidnon and Camp Tomas Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal.

Lorenzana said these facilities are ideal for rehabilitation purposes as they have sufficient space for recreation and work, especially for planting.

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