The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has clarified the issue arising from the Commission on Audit (COA) Annual Audit Report CY 2010 concerning the death of 13 drug-sniffing dogs owned and managed by the Agency.
PDEA Director General Undersecretary Jose S Gutierrez Jr. confirmed that 11 PDEA drug-sniffing-dogs died from 2004 to 2010. Gutierrez added that based on records, the dogs died of illnesses brought about by complication of old age. However, two PDEA K9s out of the 13 dead as reported by COA, are still alive although they are already retired due to old age. They are Frankie and Bruno. Frankie is in PDEA K9 facility in Bulacan, while Bruno is in PDEA Regional Office 7 (PDEA RO7).
Agency records show that certified true copy of the death certificates of the dogs were submitted to COA in the last quarter of 2009. PDEA is now preparing the request for relief of accountability to complete the requirements of COA. Evangeline DJ Almenario, Chief, Public Information Office, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
