Republic of the Office of the President PHILIPPINE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY Regional Office III Diosdado Macapagal Government Center, Brgy. Maimpis, City of San Fernando, 2000 Email- [email protected] / Telefax-(045) 649-1009/ Tel No. (045) 649-1008

REGIONAL OFFICE PROFILE

BRIEFER ON PDEA REGIONAL OFFICE III

The PDEA Regional Office III, or PDEA RO III, is among the Agency’s 18 regional office nationwide, which has primary operational control, supervision and jurisdiction in Central .

After the enactment of Republic Act No. 9165 in July 2002, the PDEA RO III office was housed at the PNP Annex Building in No. 7372, Clark Special Economic Zone, Clarkfield, Pampanga. In October 2003, the Region forged a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the PNP PRO 3 to relocate the PDEA RO III in the office space formerly occupied by the defunct PNP PRO 3 Narcotics Group at Camp Captain Julian Olivas in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Since then, the PDEA Regional Office III is located in Camp Olivas, City of San Fernando, Pampanga.

In 2008, plantilla positions were created for PDEA, in which 11 organic personnel holding different positions reported at PDEA RO III. Drug Enforcement Officers (DEOs) were also assigned in this Regional Office to cater to the demands of anti-drug problem.

In 2009, the PDEA RO III initiated the request for NEDA RO 3 to assign an office lot for the Office at the Regional Government Center in Maimpis, City of San Fernando, Pampanga. In 2013, the Office constructed the PDEA RO III Regional Forensic Laboratory.

In February 2014, the PDEA RO III was assigned with a 500 sq.m. lot in Regional Government Center in Barangay Maimpis, City of San Fernando, Pampanga. After the acquisition of the office space, GOVERNOR LILIA “NANAY” G. PINEDA funded the construction of a two-story building for the PDEA RO III. The construction of the new PDEA RO III building at the Regional Government Center in Brgy. Maimpis, City of San Fernando, Pampanga formally started on May 26, 2015. After six (6) months of construction, the building was completed in November 2015 and was turned over to the PDEA RO III on December 21, 2015. The Office started transferring its equipment and facilities in the new building from December 22, 2016 to January 22, 2016 and became fully operational in the new building on January 25, 2016.

The Office is now constructing a new detention facility/building, which is undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways Regional Office III (DPWH RO III).

The United States government, through the US Drug Enforcement Administration (US/DEA) has been extending support to anti-drug enforcement units of the PDEA through its Narcotics Enforcement Training Team (NETT) unit program. This support comes in the form of training, infrastructure and other logistical assistance. The PDEA RO III is one of the three (3) PDEA offices, which has been the recipient of the said program from 2015-2016.

In 2006 and 2014, PDEA RO III was hailed as the BEST REGIONAL OFFICE.

I. LEADERSHIP CHANGES

In July 2002, Police Superintendent SONNY YANGA DAVID, a detailed officer from the Philippine National Police (PNP), became the first acting Regional Director of PDEA RO III. In July 2003, Police Superintendent JEROME S BAXINELLA replaced Police Superintendent SONNY DAVID as the Acting Regional Director. He initiated the forging of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the former Regional Director of Police Regional Office-3 (PRO3) for the relocation of PDEA RO III to the office formerly occupied by the PNP Narcotics Group (PNP Narcom) in Camp Captain Julian Olivas, City of San Fernando, Pampanga.

In 2007, Police Chief Inspector EMERSON M MANIBO replaced Police Superintendent BAXINELLA as regional director. In the same year, Police Superintendent JOSE CARLITO APOLONIO E RAYCO replaced Police Chief Inspector MANIBO. In 2009, Police Superintendent DIONISIO B BARTOLOME JR. replaced Police Superintendent JOSE CARLITO APOLONIO E RAYCO as Regional Director.

After the conclusion of the detail order of police officers with the Agency, organic PDEA officers assumed leadership of its offices in 2010. DIRECTOR RONALD ALLAN DG RICARDO became the first organic PDEA officer to lead the PDEA RO III as Regional Director; DIRECTOR ROYBEL M SANCHEZ; DIRECTOR LYNDON P ASPACIO; DIRECTOR CARLOS L FLORES, JR; DIRECTOR ADRIAN G ALVARIÑO, DIRECTOR JEOFFREY C TACIO, DIRECTOR GLADYS F ROSALES, the first lady PDEA officer to head the Region, DIRECTOR EMERSON L MARGATE, DIRECTOR JUVENAL BLANQUERA AZURIN, DIRECTOR ISMAEL G FAJARDO JR, DIRECTOR MARIO DE ASIS RAMOS and DIRECTOR JOSEPH C LADIP

DIRECTOR III GIL T PABILONA is the incumbent Regional Director.

II. CHAIN OF COMMAND

The Regional Office is headed by a Regional Director with the rank of Director III, assisted by an Assistant Regional Director with the rank of Director II. The Office is conferred with 83 positions for its organic personnel in pursuant to the DBM approved Organizational Structure and Staffing Pattern (OSSP). In addition, the Office employs 9 project-based employees as Case Monitors that liaise with Regional Trial Courts in the area.

PDEA Regional Office III has two (2) divisions: The Administrative Division (AD) and the Plans and Operations Division (POD) that are headed by the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and Chief, POD, respectively. The Administrative Division has six (6) sections: Logistics and Property Management, Personnel Management, Finance and Disbursing Management, Records Management, Message Center and General Services. The POD has five (5) sections: Intelligence and Investigation Section (IIS), Regional Laboratory, Regional Compliance, Regional Tactical Operations Center (RTOC); Custodial and Detention Facility (CDF);

Further, the Office has seven (7) Provincial Offices (, , , , Pampanga, , ) and two (2) Highly Urbanized City Offices ( and Angeles). The Airport Interdiction Unit at the Clark International Airport along with other enforcers from member-law enforcement agencies formed the Clark International Airport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (CIA-IADITG). This task group under the supervision of the Regional Director as Task Group Commander and assisted by the Assistant Regional Director as Assistant Group Commander.

III. OPERATIONAL JURISDICTION

Region III, or geographically referred to as “”, is located north of , and is bounded by neighboring regions of Ilocos, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Valley regions to the north; National Capital Region (NCR) and Calaba, , , and () to the south; and of waters of Manila Bay to the south; West Philippine Sea (formerly South China Sea) to the west; and the Philippine Sea to the east.

Central Luzon has the largest bordering lowland in the Philippine Archipelago, with 18,230 square meters land area, or 7.1 percent of the total land area of the country.

It is composed of seven provinces, namely: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales; and 13 cities, which include: Balanga in Bataan; , and in Bulacan; , , Science City of Muñoz, and San Jose in Nueva Ecija; Angeles and San Fernando in Pampanga; in Tarlac; and Olongapo in Zambales. There are 20 congressional districts, 117 municipalities and 3,102 barangays. The City of San Fernando, Pampanga is the regional center of Central Luzon while the cities of Angeles and Olongapo are the region’s highly urbanized cities.

Region III is vulnerable to illegal drugs trade for the following reasons:

1. Its location is considered by the experts as very ideal in the establishment of clandestine laboratories and warehouses as well as in the distribution and administration of dangerous drugs. Complementing the so-called strategic location in the existence of commercial, business and industrial establishment and flashy subdivisions where drug activities could discreetly be conducted;

2. The long shorelines and high seas of Bataan, Zambales and Aurora provinces are very susceptible to possible big time drug shipside smuggling operations and;

3. The existence of airports and seaports in the Region is also another moving factor as international drug syndicates could use these facilities as their major transshipment points.

4. It also includes three (3) Special Economic Zones, the Bataan Export Processing Zone, Clark Special Economic Zone and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

IV. FUNCTIONAL STATEMENTS OF OFFICES, DIVISIONS AND SECTION IN PDEA RO III

The Regional Office is primarily responsible for the implementation of the Agency’s policies, programs and projects in Central Luzon, conduct anti-drug operations; neutralize drug personalities; file criminal complaints against arrested persons; conduct casing and surveillance operations; information campaign; monitor all activities of drug personalities listed in the watch list within the Region; report progress to the National Office; and monitor the status of drug cases.

1. Office of the Regional Director - Responsible for the general administration and management of the PDEA Regional Office III. Direct and control the utilization of the Office’s resources for the accomplishment of its mission in accordance with RA 9165. Further, it is also responsible for the legal works of the Office and the dissemination/publication of operational accomplishments.

2. Administrative Division – Assists the Regional Director in the general supervision of the various administrative functions of the Office.

3. Plans and Operations Division – Assists the Regional Director in the general supervision of the various operational functions of the Office. This Division directs, controls, coordinates and supervises PDEA operations and integrates support activities. In charge of the general supervision of the following sections:

a. Intelligence and Investigation Section - formulate strategies and programs to support the PDEA intelligence efforts on drug law enforcement and effective management of all drug investigation activities.

b. Regional Laboratory - Provide specific method of examination of dangerous drugs, precursors and essential chemicals through examination of evidence; give expert opinion in court.

c. Regional Tactical Operations Center – Serves as the central nerve of the Office maintaining 24-hour telephone, electronic message, website

and hotlines; coordinate with PDEA offices nationwide for expeditious dissemination of information. d. Custodial Section – Serves the detention and security facility of the Office, where arrested personalities are temporarily confined while awaiting the Commitment Orders from Courts. e. Special Enforcement Team - Serves as the operating unit of the Office, which primarily dismantles drug groups/syndicates, illegal drug facilities (i.e. clandestine laboratories, chemical warehouses, drug dens), and neutralize drug personalities.