Iloilo deploys more K-9 teams vs drugs

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Twenty-six newly certified narcotics detection K-9 teams have completed a six-month training program and will soon be deployed to help strengthen Iloilo province’s efforts to prevent illegal drugs from entering the province.

The teams graduated during a ceremony July 7 at the Iloilo Police Provincial Office headquarters at Camp Gen. Martin Teofilo B. Delgado in Santa Barbara town after completing 180 days of training that began in January.

The training was conducted through a partnership among the Iloilo provincial government, the IPPO, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Before deployment, the K-9 teams will undergo immersion training at ports and airports to familiarize them with actual operating environments.

They will then be assigned to strategic seaports, coastal areas, and other key entry and exit points across the province.

The initiative is being implemented under Provincial Ordinance No. 2024-314 and Executive Order No. 111 as part of the provincial government’s 4K for MoRProGRes development agenda.

Provincial Administrator Raul Banias said the graduation marked a significant step in strengthening Iloilo’s drug interdiction capability.

“Today marks a critical milestone in our shared mission to secure the Province of Iloilo. This course is a direct answer to the evolving challenges of law enforcement, providing a massive boost to the capability of our Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) in its drug interdiction efforts,” Banias said.

He said that while the provincial government continues to pursue education, values formation, and youth development programs to reduce the demand for illegal drugs, it must also strengthen efforts to curb supply.

“We must aggressively cut off the lifelines of the traffickers. To do that, we must equip our policemen with the necessary tools, the advanced technology, and the specialized training required to intercept illicit substances before they ever reach our neighborhoods,” he added.

Banias said strengthening border interdiction is a key component of the province’s broader anti-illegal drug campaign.

The deployment of the K-9 teams complements the national government’s border interdiction strategy against illegal drugs.

Earlier this year, the PDEA and the Bureau of Customs strengthened their partnership to intensify anti-drug operations at the country’s ports of entry through closer coordination and intelligence sharing aimed at intercepting illegal drugs before they reach local communities.

The provincial government has been enhancing border security through investments in specialized law enforcement capabilities to protect Iloilo from the entry of illegal drugs and other contraband.