Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino has ordered the relief of PDEA's Calabarzon regional head and 61 others for alleged irregularities.

In a statement, Aquino said Region IV Director Archie Grande and 61 agents, and administrative and technical personnel were allegedly involved in series of unlawful arrests and extortion activities in Batangas and Cavite.

The erring PDEA personnel were also allegedly engaged in the issuance of unlawful PDEA regionalized identification cards to confidential assets and informants.

“PDEA does not issue IDs to non-organic personnel, including assets and confidential informants. We only authorized the issuance of an ‘Agent’s Agreement’- a project-based contract (maximum of six months) to them, to perform intelligence works against specific high-value targeted drug personalities (HVTs),” he said.

Citing an incident last February 24, a certain Jhay-R Repana who introduced himself as a PDEA agent was involved in a shooting incident in Paranaque City and was arrested during a follow-up operation in Laguna.

A certain Joseph Borjal, who tried to assist Repana was also apprehended after showing his PDEA ID, stating he was a confidential agent.

“Those personnel are now undergoing thorough investigation and were placed in the agency’s administrative holding unit. If they are found guilty after due process, we will dismiss them right away," Aquino said.

“Once the credibility of an organization is put at stake, in this instance PDEA, we will not tolerate anyone who deliberately besmirch its integrity. We will remove rogue agents from our ranks so that they will not have the chance to influence the others,” he added.

PDEA spokesperson Director Derrick Carreon, in a television interview, said investigation for the said personnel may take up to 60 days.

Carreon said Grande was initially re-assigned to Zamboanga Peninsula Region while the others were brought to PDEA headquarters.

Aquino reiterated his warning to the public against unscrupulous people who masquerade as agents out to discredit PDEA.

He urged the public to remain vigilant in spotting these impostors. Ella Dionisio/DMS