PDEA sacks nearly all Calabarzon personnel

'NO EXCUSES.' Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Aaron Aquino sacks the regional chief and more than 60 personnel in Calabarzon. File photo by Maria Tan/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) sacked almost all of its staff from its office in Calabarzon (Region IV-A), the agency announced on Sunday, March 4.

"They were discharged from duties after intelligence reports linking them to a series of unlawful arrests and extortion activities in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite," PDEA chief Director General Aaron Aquino said in a statement.

Aquino ordered the sacking of the Calabarzon regional chief Archie Grande and 61 agents, administrative staff, and technical personnel assigned to the operations unit group.

PDEA did not elaborate on how the agents were involved in unlawful arrests and extortion.

The mass sacking comes just 3 months after PDEA was designated the "lead agency" in President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs. – Rappler.com