NATIONAL
Advocates Philippines
P1-Billion Shabu Bust In Pampanga: PDEA Strikes Again, But Suspect Still On The Run
Photo credit: PDEA
In another big win for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), authorities seized over ₱1 billion worth of shabu in a quiet neighborhood in Angeles City, Pampanga — but the man they were after is still nowhere to be found.
It all went down around 4 p.m. on May 26, 2025, when PDEA teams from different regions, backed by the AFP Counterintelligence Group, NICA, and the PNP, raided a house on Orchid Street in Timog Hills Subdivision, Barangay Pampang. Inside, they discovered 155 plastic bags — each weighing about a kilo — filled with white crystalline substances believed to be methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu. Street value? A jaw-dropping ₱1,054,000,000.
But here’s the twist — the house was abandoned. And the man they were targeting, a Chinese national, had already slipped away. He’s now facing charges under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, but as of now, he’s still on the loose.
This isn’t the first time Angeles City made headlines for a drug bust this month. Just less than two weeks ago, PDEA intercepted over 35 kilos of shabu during a buy-bust operation in the same city, which ended with the arrest of a Chinese man and his Filipina partner. Turns out, both incidents are connected.
“These two operations are part of a larger network we’ve been tracking for some time,” said PDEA Director General Undersecretary Isagani Nerez. “We’re going after not just the dealers, but the entire syndicate — all the way to the top.”
Still, Nerez emphasized that while high-profile seizures like these grab headlines, PDEA’s work doesn’t stop there. “Most of the drugs end up in communities — that’s where the real fight is,” he said. “President Marcos has been clear: we have to go after the big fish and the small-time peddlers hurting our barangays.”
PDEA is also calling on the public to help. Through Operation: Private Eye (OPE), anyone who provides solid tips about illegal drug activity can receive monetary rewards. It’s part of the agency’s ongoing push to make the fight against illegal drugs a true team effort.
With one of the biggest shabu seizures of the year now under their belt, authorities remain hot on the trail of the suspect — and the wider network behind this massive drug haul.
It all went down around 4 p.m. on May 26, 2025, when PDEA teams from different regions, backed by the AFP Counterintelligence Group, NICA, and the PNP, raided a house on Orchid Street in Timog Hills Subdivision, Barangay Pampang. Inside, they discovered 155 plastic bags — each weighing about a kilo — filled with white crystalline substances believed to be methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu. Street value? A jaw-dropping ₱1,054,000,000.
But here’s the twist — the house was abandoned. And the man they were targeting, a Chinese national, had already slipped away. He’s now facing charges under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, but as of now, he’s still on the loose.
This isn’t the first time Angeles City made headlines for a drug bust this month. Just less than two weeks ago, PDEA intercepted over 35 kilos of shabu during a buy-bust operation in the same city, which ended with the arrest of a Chinese man and his Filipina partner. Turns out, both incidents are connected.
“These two operations are part of a larger network we’ve been tracking for some time,” said PDEA Director General Undersecretary Isagani Nerez. “We’re going after not just the dealers, but the entire syndicate — all the way to the top.”
Still, Nerez emphasized that while high-profile seizures like these grab headlines, PDEA’s work doesn’t stop there. “Most of the drugs end up in communities — that’s where the real fight is,” he said. “President Marcos has been clear: we have to go after the big fish and the small-time peddlers hurting our barangays.”
PDEA is also calling on the public to help. Through Operation: Private Eye (OPE), anyone who provides solid tips about illegal drug activity can receive monetary rewards. It’s part of the agency’s ongoing push to make the fight against illegal drugs a true team effort.
With one of the biggest shabu seizures of the year now under their belt, authorities remain hot on the trail of the suspect — and the wider network behind this massive drug haul.
May 28, 2025
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