The illegal drugs trade plays a large part in funding the armed campaigns of Maoist guerrillas and Islamic militants in the Philippines, the nation's police chief said Thursday.
"We are faced with the phenomenon of 'narco-terrorism'," police Director-General Jesus Verzosa said in a statement to news agencies.
He cited the "involvement of some domestic threat groups in the production and trafficking of illegal drugs," including the communist New People's Army (NPA) and the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf.
"It is a fact that some of the largest marijuana plantations we have discovered are maintained by the communist New People's Army in the hinterlands," Verzosa said.
"In some parts of the Southern Philippines, the Abu Sayyaf Group has been known to be behind the distribution of Shabu," he said, referring to methamphetamine hydrochloride.
"It cannot be denied that these groups derive revenue from these illicit activities to fund their operations," he said, without elaborating.
The 5,000-member NPA has been waging a 40-year Maoist guerrilla campaign while the Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for some of the country's worst terrorist attacks including bombings and kidnappings.
Verzosa said the police were concerned by the potential influence of drug money in politics as well as in the corruption of police officers.
"We are committed to run after suspects engaged in the illegal drug trade, including our own personnel who (may be) involved directly or indirectly in trafficking of illegal drugs," he added.
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