Iloilo to tighten borders, barangay controls vs. drugs

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The Iloilo provincial government will adopt a tougher border control strategy against illegal drugs by strengthening monitoring at seaports and expanding barangay-level intelligence efforts.

Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. said during a press conference on Jan. 15 that the renewed focus is aimed at preventing illegal drugs from entering Iloilo and the rest of Panay rather than relying heavily on buy-bust operations.

“This is the direction we want to set. It takes a lot to do this, and it is difficult, but we want to strengthen our fences—the seaports, the barangays and other entry points,” Defensor said, adding that airports pose less concern than maritime routes.

The governor expressed satisfaction with the performance of Iloilo Police Provincial Office Director Bayani Razalan in 2025, citing sustained enforcement against illegal drugs.

Based on a Provincial Operations Management Unit report, the Iloilo Police Provincial Office conducted 371 anti-drug operations last year, resulting in the arrest of 515 individuals, including 152 high-value targets and 361 street-level suspects.

Authorities seized 24,488.84 grams of suspected shabu valued at PHP 165.97 million and 72.43 grams of marijuana worth PHP 10,864.52, with a total of 1,065 cases filed.

Defensor noted that fewer buy-bust arrests in the future would be a better indicator of success if it reflects reduced drug entry into the province.

“From another angle, it would be better if later on we can say there are no more buy-busts—not because enforcement stopped, but because there are no more drugs coming in,” he said.

He clarified that recent buy-bust operations have mostly involved new and unorganized individuals, unlike in previous years when drug groups were more established.

Under the Barangay Drug Clearing Program, only one barangay in Iloilo province remains not drug-cleared out of 1,721 barangays, reflecting sustained local anti-drug efforts.

The establishment of an operations center for drug monitoring at ports of entry remains pending the passage of an enabling ordinance.

Defensor said the proposed measure is being fast-tracked as part of the province’s broader campaign against illegal drugs.