Taiwan is a partner in war against drugs, not ‘supplier’

I am writing in response to the article titled “Duterte: Triad supplying illegal drugs to PH is based in Taiwan, not China” (Inquirer.net, 9/26/17).

I would like to firstly point out that Taiwan has never been the source nor the country that exports illegal drugs to the Philippines. Instead, Taiwan has been jointly fighting against transnational illegal drugs with the Philippines. Through collaborative efforts, Philippine authorities have been able to resolve 12 important cases resulting in the confiscation of over 1,000 kilograms of shabu, more than 8,000 kg of semi-finished products and raw materials, three shabu laboratories, one distribution station and six shipments via air and container. The market value of the seizures is more than P3.2 billion. Philippine authorities have been grateful for Taiwan’s laudable assistance in cracking down on illegal drugs by presenting a total of 10 appreciation plaques to Taiwan’s counterparts.

Even though the Bamboo Triad originated from Taiwan decades ago, it
has been disintegrated and marginalized through the constant heavy crackdown on this notorious crime group by Taiwan’s highly effective law enforcement agencies. As a result, the Bamboo Triad has fallen apart into factions and, in order to survive, scattered to China, Hong Kong, Macau, Asean countries, and the United States.

In other words, the Bamboo Triad has become a region-based type syndicate and its illegal activities can be traced and seen in many countries. Therefore, it is totally inaccurate to indicate that the Bamboo Triad is based in Taiwan. As a matter of fact, illegal drugs have become a global and regional issue that requires all countries concerned to work in partnership to combat the problem.

As we are living in a globally interdependent village, totally eradicating the Bamboo Triad and cracking down on transnational illegal drugs have become an important cross-border task that requires joint efforts. I am therefore calling on the Philippine government to share with Taiwan any information that may apprehend the Bamboo Triad members involved in illegal drugs dealings.

Finally, I would like to reiterate that Taiwan is definitely not the source nor is it the country that exports illegal drugs to the Philippines. On the contrary, Taiwan is an absolutely indispensable partner in the Philippines’ endeavor in fighting transnational illegal drugs. Taiwan will continue to join hands with the Philippines’ relevant authorities to accomplish the goal of completely eliminating transnational drug trafficking.

PETER C.Y. PAN, executive officer, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines, [email protected]