Three operating units of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) received monetary rewards amounting to ₱2,640,323.78 for meritorious anti-drug operations.
PDEA Director General Wilkins M Villanueva personally handed the rewards to PDEA Regional Office-National Capital Region (PDEA RO-NCR), PDEA Regional Office III (PDEA ROIII), and PDEA-Intelligence and Investigation Service (PDEA-IIS) in simple rites today, December 21, 2020, at the PDEA National Headquarters in Quezon City.
The PDEA operating units received the cash rewards under PDEA Operation: “Lawmen”, an incentive program for law enforcers or members of the anti-illegal drug units/teams or task forces, including the support unit/s, after the conduct of laudable anti-drug operations.
Classified as meritorious anti-drug operations are: successful arrest of the violator/s and seizure, confiscation or surrender of dangerous drugs, plant sources of dangerous drugs, and controlled precursors and essential chemicals (CPECs) in any part of the country, or seizure of high volume or quantity of the same made possible through the conduct of search warrant operation, buy-bust operation, eradication, interdiction, interception, controlled delivery operation, checkpoint, inspection or search and seizure in detention, jail, correctional or prison facility and other legitimate operations.
Among the PDEA operating units, PDEA RO-NCR received ₱1,395,756.88 after the conduct of a buy-bust operation which resulted in the seizure of 18,571.78 grams of shabu worth ₱126.29 million and the arrest of three drug personalities in Quezon City Memorial Circle, Barangay Central, Quezon City on July 22, 2020.
A cash reward of ₱744,566.90 was granted to PDEA ROIII following a buy-bust operation that led to the confiscation of 9,989.63 grams of shabu worth ₱67.93 million and the arrest of five drug personalities along Pandayan Road, Barangay Pandayan, Meycauayan City, Bulacan on July 1, 2020.
PDEA-IIS received ₱500,000.00 after the conduct of a buy-bust operation resulting in the dismantling of a small-scale clandestine drug laboratory and the arrest of two drug personalities in California Garden Square, Mandaluyong City on August 25, 2016.
To deliberate and grant the claims of monetary rewards and the appropriate non-monetary awards pursuant to the DDB regulation, PDEA Operation: “Lawmen” Committee was created.
The committee is a five-member panel composed of a Chairperson designated by the Head of Agency/Bureau/Office, the Head/Chief of Financial Management Service/Department of the Agency/Bureau/Office, and representatives from the business sector, academe and religious sector, who have proven themselves for integrity and probity.
Operation: “Lawmen”, has been institutionalized through Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Regulation Number 1, Series of 2016 on August 3, 2016 that took effect on September 3, 2016.
Any government agency exercising law enforcement function, or support unit, are entitled to reward under their own “Operation: Lawmen” program. Non-monetary awards through recognition and commendation shall also be given to deserving law enforcers.
Last July 27, 2020, six PDEA operating units have received monetary rewards amounting to ₱5,916,765.78 under PDEA Operation: “Lawmen”.
“Financial rewards reinforce motivation among our operating units to perform at their best towards efficiency and quality work. When you did a good job, achieved a goal or exceed expectations, you deserve to be rewarded,” Villanueva said.
