The Department of Justice (DOJ) says it will decongest its illegal drug caseload by narrowing which cases its anti-illegal drug task force handles. In a press briefing, DOJ Undersecretary Ian Dato announced that Department Order No. 161, which created the task force, will be amended to focus on “syndicate-level” crimes, cases involving public officers, and cases involving major drug offenders (“big fish”). The DOJ also sets quantity thresholds as part of the new arrangement. Under the proposed changes, the task force will cover cases involving at least 10 kilograms of illegal drugs in Metro Manila and at least 15 kilograms of narcotics in other areas. Dato indicated that drug cases below these thresholds would no longer be handled by the task force, freeing resources for higher-level cases. The DOJ frames the move as an effort to improve case management while ensuring that more complex or high-impact cases receive attention from the specialized unit overseeing illegal drug prosecution.