The Philippine National Police (PNP) revealed that more than ₱43.8 billion worth of illegal drugs have been confiscated since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in July 2022—triple the amount seized during the same stretch under former President Rodrigo Duterte.
During a press briefing held at Camp Crame on Tuesday, PNP public information chief Col. Randulf Tuaño attributed the significant haul to the administration’s nonviolent and recalibrated anti-drug campaign. The shift in approach, often labeled as “bloodless,” stands in stark contrast to Duterte’s aggressive crackdown, which drew widespread international criticism over alleged human rights abuses.
Data shows that between July 2016 and May 2019, drug seizures during the Duterte presidency reached ₱14.3 billion. In comparison, the current administration recorded ₱43.8 billion in confiscations from July 2022 to May 17, 2025.
Col. Tuaño noted that the figures are likely to rise even further following President Marcos’s directive to broaden the campaign’s focus. “We will continue pursuing big drug lords and now include small drug offenders in our operations,” he said in Filipino.
Marcos has instructed Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy, officer-in-charge of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group, to design intensified strategies targeting not only major traffickers but also street-level peddlers.
In his third State of the Nation Address, the president reaffirmed his stand on addressing the drug problem through a rights-based and humane approach, steering clear of violence and extrajudicial methods.
