CAGAYAN de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez has filed a bill that seeks heavier penalties for drug offenses committed during a pandemic, calamity or similar emergencies.

Rodriguez said despite the raging health crisis, the drug problem in the country "still persists and could be considered to have worsened."

The kagay-anon lawmaker has cited a data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) which showed that anti-drug operatives conducted 3,413 anti-illegal drug operations from September 2 to 27, this year.

"A total of 4,354 drug offenders were arrested, and 2.2 kilos of shabu and 13.7 kilos of marijuana with a combined street value of P151 million were confiscated. Further, the Police Regional Office-Cordillera destroyed three marijuana farms worth P3.84 million in Kalinga,"Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez, who was recently elected as deputy speaker, said country's police force have to continue waging the war against the dangerous drugs aside from fighting the coronavirus diseases (Covid-19).

"Thus, the need to amend RA 9165, or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, to include a provision making the commission of any of the unlawful acts prescribed by the law during a pandemic or a state of calamity an aggravating circumstance, increasing the penalty one degree higher," he said.

Rodriguez' bill adds a new section which provides: "Aggravating circumstance-the penalty one degree higher shall be imposed if any of the unlawful acts above is committed during an epidemic, pandemic, calamity or a state of calamity as declared by the President of the Republic of the Philippines.

The succeeding sections are to be renumbered accordingly.

The RA 9165 imposes graduated penalties on drug-related crimes. The maximum is life imprisonment and a fine of P500,000 to P10 million. It is imposable on serious offenses, including possession, importation, manufacture and distribution. (With PR)