Proposed 2027 budget for PDEA’s 240 working dogs only P2.9M

MANILA, Philippines — PhilReca party-list Rep. Presley de Jesus on Wednesday objected to what he described as the “very low” proposed allocation in next year’s budget for the training and care of Narcotic Detection Dogs or K9s under the care of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

According to De Jesus, the role played by the drug sniffing dogs in the government’s campaign against illegal drugs is far too important for them to be given a small budget.

Marikina City Rep. Marcy Teodoro, who sponsored the proposed P4.41-billion PDEA budget for 2027, had said that only P2.9 million would be allocated for the feeding, breeding and maintenance of training facilities for 240 dogs under PDEA.

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He added that of the 240 dogs, only 142 of them are deployed to ports of entry. Teodoro also noted that the dogs, which are highly trained, are crucial to PDEA’s search and seizure operations for illegal drugs.

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READ: ‘Jelak’ the K9 dog – PDEA’s weapon of choice in the fight against drugs

“P2.9 million is such a very low amount when they are our front-liners when it comes to apprehending those drugs. The P2.9 million budget is too low,” De Jesus said in his interpellation.

Teodoro agreed, saying the budget should be amended while De Jesus said he would push for a budget increase specifically for the dogs.

New training facility

Teodoro, meanwhile, said the House committee on appropriations should also focus on the training systems for K9s, adding that a new training facility for the dogs would be built in Tanay, Rizal.

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READ: 9 retired drug detection dogs up for adoption – PDEA

The plight of police dogs caught the public’s attention in August last year after a photo of Kobe, a bomb-sniffing dog assigned to the explosive ordnance disposal and K9 unit of the Philippine National Police, went viral. Netizens noted his emaciated appearance, with his ribs clearly visible under his fur.

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While the PNP assured the public that Kobe’s laboratory tests were normal, he was fed regularly and his vaccines were up to date, it later coordinated with Animal Kingdom Foundation for the dog to undergo a two-month rehabilitation period before deployment.

Kobe and other police dogs also received donations of dog food from concerned animal lovers.