Tacloban City – The former Chairman of the Dangerous Drug Board (DDB) is warning businessmen buying and selling cocaine which have been recovered from the eastern shores of Samar Island.

Former Senator and DDB Chairman and now senatorial bet Vicente Sotto III is sternly cautioning businessmen who might be trading in the illegal drug, saying they no longer are businessmen if they do so, but drug traffickers who will be dealt with accordingly with the full force of the law if caught.

Sotto was in this city for official business when interviewed by local reporters during a press conference.

His warnings against drug trafficking was issued particularly in response to queries regarding reports about businessmen said to be engaging in the buying and selling of cocaine recovered from the eastern shores of Eastern and Northern Samar provinces especially from towns facing the Pacific Ocean.

Sotto said those apprehended in the buying and selling of cocaine will be held criminally liable for violating Republic Act 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Director Julius Navales, Regional Director, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Eastern Visayas, said in an earlier interview that recently two persons have already been arrested recently for selling cocaine recovered from the shores of Samar.

Navales told reporters his office is closely monitoring the recovery of drugs that drifted to Samar’s eastern shores. He said that as of March 4, over 300 kilograms of cocaine were recovered and his office is expecting more of the drug to be recovered.