A bill seeking to empower the government to designate qualified transnational drug-trafficking syndicates as terrorist organizations has been filed in the House of Representatives, targeting not only drug traffickers but also the financiers and networks behind their operations.
House Bill 11751, or the proposed Anti-Narco-Terrorism Act of 2026, seeks to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 to address gaps in existing laws that may allow international drug syndicates to evade prosecution.
The measure aims to classify large-scale drug trafficking committed by members and leaders of qualified transnational syndicates as narco-terrorism. It also seeks to penalize individuals who finance or provide material support to these organizations.
The bill would also allow Philippine courts to exercise jurisdiction over certain drug-related offenses committed abroad when the illegal drugs are intended for or transported through the Philippines, even if the shipment is intercepted before reaching Philippine territory.
‘Transnational drug syndicates pose a serious threat to our country because their operations can cross borders, involve multiple networks, and rely on financiers and facilitators who may remain beyond the reach of conventional law enforcement efforts,’ said House Committee on Dangerous Drugs Chairman Mark Anthony Santos of Las Pinas, principal author of the bill.
The measure also provides for asset freezing and forfeiture, enhanced international cooperation in investigations and extradition, and expanded investigative tools, subject to judicial oversight and constitutional safeguards.
Santos said authorities must go beyond intercepting illegal drug shipments and pursue the financial and logistical networks that sustain international drug trafficking.
‘Authorities must look beyond intercepted shipments, follow the money, and work with foreign law enforcement to identify and dismantle the syndicates behind the drug trade,’ he said.
The lawmaker said the bill responds to Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla’s call for Congress to enact legislation, allowing authorities to designate qualified drug-trafficking organizations as terrorist groups.
Remulla cited legal challenges in prosecuting individuals allegedly involved in an attempted shipment of 521 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, from Laos to Manila. He said authorities could file only conspiracy charges because the shipment did not reach the Philippines.
Santos earlier identified the Sam Gor network, Chinese and Chinese-Filipino drug-trafficking groups, a West African drug syndicate, and the Sinaloa or Mexican drug cartel as among the foreign networks reportedly linked to the country’s illegal drug trade. He said the proposed law aims to hold accountable not only those transporting illegal drugs but also the financiers, organizers and facilitators behind transnational operations.