January.-November. 2015: CPPO anti-illegal drug ops yield drugs worth P73M

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Provincial Police Office has already confiscated more than P73 million worth of shabu from January to November this year- a figure three times more than CPPO’s accomplishment of the same period last year.

As per records of the Cebu Provincial Intelligence Branch, the total amount of shabu confiscated from the start of this year until last month has reached to P73, 057,756, based on the Dangerous Drugs Board Value. This figure is a 265 percent increase from last year’s P20, 011, 408.

According to the data, at least 1,021 anti-illegal drugs operations were conducted in the province from the start of this year until last month. In the same period in 2014, 754 operations were conducted.

An increase of 48 percent was also noted in the number of persons arrested from 1,053 suspects last year compared to this year’s 1,557.  Superintendent Rodolfo Albotra, PIB chief, said the increase of illegal drug confiscations does not necessarily mean that the supply and demand of drugs has increased.

He said this is also due to their intensified police operations against illegal drugs under the directive of Chief Superintendent Prudencio Tom Bañas and with the support of the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Commission.

“It’s one factor siguro that motivates us or pushes our stations in the grounds to conduct police operations,” said Albotra.

Last September, CPPO was awarded by the PNP headquarters as the top performing police office in the country in the campaign against illegal drugs.

Albotra said though that even with the accomplishment, they still cannot say that Cebu province is already drug-free.

“Drugs is always there, naa man gyud. Same lang gihapon, law of economics,” said Albotra, adding that every arrested person is also replaced by another one. He said this is due to the money involved in every illegal drug transaction.

“But it’s also the obligation of the law enforcement side to discourage them to be engaged in the illegal business,” said Albotra.

“We warn them to refrain themselves from being involved in illegal drugs kay maabtan ra gihapon sila and high probability is they will be arrested, they will be imprisoned or worst, they will be get killed,” he added. — Ma. Fatima R. Secuya/ATO (FREEMAN)