Tarlac town adopts 'Wild Wild West' formula against drug users,pushers

VICTORIA, Tarlac -- The hunt for suspected drug pushers and dependents has reached even this far off town at the Tarlac-Nueva Ecija border.

The hunt, however, is far different from the shame campaign of Interior and Local Government Secretary Alfredo Lim. Rather, it is more similar to the "Wild, Wild West" campaign against criminals with posters screaming the words "Wanted" and "Cash Reward."

Posters are now all over this hometown of Tarlac Gov. Jose Yap, enticing the common citizens to report suspected drug pushers and addicts here with the promise of government protection and a cash reward of P3,000.

Mayor Emmanuel Guiam, who ordered the posting of the ala-Wild West posters, explained that the reward money would not be drawn from the government's coffers. "I will personally reward from my own pocket those who can pinpoint the activities of pushers and addicts," he said.

This way, he added, the municipal government would be avoiding controversies in the anti-drug campaign, such as accusations of human rights violations.

The mayor said he could have asked the Sangguniang Bayan to pass a resolution charging the reward money against this town's funds, but there are more important projects, like the people's livelihood, that should be attended to.

According to Guiam, the police and the municipal government will join the campaign only for the arrest of suspects and the protection of witnesses.

To avoid a deluge of information for the monetary rewards of the campaign, Guiam said that there should first be prima facie evidence against the suspects.

"We can't just keep on receiving reports and rewarding money, because there could be instances wherein the campaign may be used by some people to get even with others," the mayor said. --