Eastern Visayas’ extensive maritime routes connect Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, supporting trade and travel but creating monitoring challenges for authorities against illegal drug trafficking.
Documented drug seizures in Eastern Visayas reveal challenges in monitoring ferry routes, highways and coastal waters, highlighting the need for stronger surveillance, inter-agency coordination and evidence-based investigations.
Tacloban police will sustain heightened patrols and public assistance beyond Undas 2026, securing cemeteries, memorial parks and public areas ahead of Super Typhoon Yolanda’s 13th anniversary on November 8.
A 49-year-old fruit vendor was arrested in a Tacloban City buy-bust operation after police seized eight sachets of suspected shabu weighing 0.6 gram, valued at ₱40,800.
A 51-year-old dispatcher was arrested in a Tacloban City buy-bust operation after police seized 4.13 grams of suspected shabu worth P28,084. He faces drug sale and possession charges.
Authorities seized 5.5 kilograms of suspected marijuana and a vape with suspected cannabis oil during a K9-assisted inspection at a Flash Express hub in Tacloban City on October 27.
Four men were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Tacloban City on October 26. Authorities seized 9.32 grams of suspected shabu worth P63,376.
A concerned citizen’s tip led police to arrest three men in Tacloban City, seizing suspected shabu worth P40,800 and two firearms in an abandoned house in Barangay 36, Sabang.
Three men were arrested during a buy-bust operation dismantling an alleged drug den in Tacloban City’s Barangay 37 on October 15, involving PDEA units and local police.
Authorities arrested several individuals, including two minors, during a suspected drug den raid in Barugo, Leyte, on October 12, seizing shabu worth P952,000.
FROM OPEN WATERS TO SHORE: Mapping the Maritime Routes Behind Drug Seizures in Eastern Visayas 
FROM OPEN WATERS TO SHORE : Mapping the Maritime Routes Behind Drug Seizures in Eastern Visayas 
Tacloban Police Extend Security Patrols Ahead of Yolanda Anniversary 
Fruit vendor arrested in Tacloban buy-bust operation 
Tacloban Dispatcher Nabbed; P28,000 Suspected Shabu Seized 
5.5 Kilos of Suspected Marijuana Seized at Tacloban Parcel Hub 
Four Men Arrested in Tacloban Buy-Bust; P63,376 Suspected Shabu Seized 
Citizen’s Tip Leads to Arrest of 3 Men in Tacloban Drug Operation 
Three Arrested as PDEA Dismantles Alleged Drug Den in Tacloban 
Two Minors Among Those Held in Barugo Drug Den Raid; P952K Suspected Shabu Seized