PDEA saturation drive turns into drug lecture

What was meant to be a saturation drive against drug operations in barangay Duljo-Fatima turned into a “pulong-pulong” after the barangay captain asked the lawmen to give him the chance to clean his own backyard.

Dangerous Drugs Board undersecretary Paul Oaminal and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 gave Duljo-Fatima barangay officials two weeks to flush out the reported rampant illegal drugs activities in their area.

This is after barangay captain Elmer Abella and his councilors convinced the PDEA agents and Oaminal who were about to conduct a saturation drive yesterday not to continue their operations.

Oaminal said the PDEA-7 brought three sniffing dogs for the operation and all its agents were in full battle gear ready to act on information they received regarding drug operations in the area when the official asked them to cancel their operation.

The barangay officials managed instead to convince the group to educate the residents on the anti-illegal drugs campaign which was granted by Oaminal and PDEA- regional officer Randy Pedroso.

Oaminal warned that after two weeks and still they receive the same information on the presence of these illegal drugs personalities and drug dens in the area, the PDEA will finish what they failed to do yesterday.

Abella was not available for comment yesterday but barangay vice chairman Joel Ycong admitted they have been receiving reports regarding drug operations and they are doing their best to eradicate it.

He also said there are no longer any bigtime drug operations in their area.

Despite the cancelled operation, Oaminal said they are also thankful because the barangay officials gave them names of drug personalities in the area.

Oaminal said some of the names given are also on the PDEA watchlist thus confirming the information they already have about these people.

One of the agents of PDEA-7 in an interview with The FREEMAN said the “Pulong-Pulong” yesterday instead of the saturation drive sent the message that the fight against drugs is everybody’s business.  — Edwin Ian Melecio/BRP