Army exec reiterates zero tolerance to illegal drugs policy

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 1): Army exec reiterates zero tolerance to illegal drugs policy

A top official of the Philippine Army in the region reiterated his call to soldiers in Eastern Visayas not to tolerate illegal drugs among their ranks.

“If there is an internal cleansing in the Philippine National Police (PNP), we, at the military has internal cleansing too. That is why I advise soldiers to never get involved in illegal drugs trade and never use illicit drug because we will dismiss them,” said Major Gen. Raul Farnacio, commander of the Army’s 8th Infantry Division here.

The statement came after three soldiers in the region were dismissed from service after they were caught using illegal drugs. One of them, a corporal, was caught in a buy-bust operation in Calbiga, Samar.

The arrested soldier claimed that there are 14 of his comrades who are drug users too.
“I hope that this action will serve as warning to soldiers to never get involved in illegal drugs because we will never tolerate them,” Farnacio stressed.

In the national level, the Armed Forces of the Philippines formed the Task Force Noah mandated to conduct intelligence and counterintelligence operations on military personnel suspected to be involved in illicit drugs.

Task Force Noah is an interagency effort with the PNP, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, National Bureau of Investigation.

The team is also tasked to conduct random drug testing among military personnel and civilians working in Army camps.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=944795