THE Philippine National Police (PNP) reported that P81.2 million worth of illegal drugs were confiscated during the first 16 days of 2023.

In a media briefing on Monday, PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said the illegal drugs were seized during 1,831 police operations conducted from January 1 to 16. This also led to the arrest of 2,518 drug offenders, among whom were 146 high-value individuals.

“The PNP is off to a strong start in the national campaign against illegal drugs this year with encouraging results on its operations,” Azurin said.

He pointed out that anti-illegal drug operations are among the priority operational thrusts of the PNP this year “with greater emphasis on demand-reduction efforts” through rehabilitation, treatment and training. These will be done while simultaneously staging intelligence-driven operations in supply reduction “by hitting hard” on big-time drug syndicates and big personalities engaged in large-scale drug trafficking.

At the same briefing, Azurin reported that crime across the Philippines decreased in the first three weeks of 2023.

He said crime incidents “generally decreased” by 23.66 percent, with 8,391 cases recorded from January 1 to 21 against 10,991 during the same period in 2022.

Index crimes are those done against persons such as murder, homicide, physical injury and rape, and against property, like theft. They have also gone down by 29.96 percent to 1,576 against 2,250 last year.

Azurin partly credited the decrease in incidents to the Kasimbayanan program, which he relaunched last October, where the PNP partners with religious leaders and organizations as well as community stakeholders for peace and order.

“We are now harvesting the fruits of our labor,” Azurin said.

He also announced that the PNP revoked 200 firearm licenses in the past four years in a bid to strengthen gun control by sanitizing the list of licensed firearm holders.