20 M'kina quarantine residents surrender

About 20 residents of the "quarantine areas" in Marikina who are suspected to be drug pushers and users reportedly surrendered to the police last weekend.

Marikina Mayor Bayani Fernando said the surrenderees are now being used as "assets" of the government to gain information regarding the drug trade on Singkamas and Mais streets in Sitio Tumana, Barangay Concepcion Uno which have been declared as "drug risk areas."

Encouraged by the mass surrender, Fernando vowed to pursue his "quarantine operations" in the two streets even as local residents threatened to put up placards assailing the mayor's move as a violation of their rights.

Fernando said he would call off the operations only if ordered by the courts, and dared anyone to file appropriate charges against him.

The residents were inspired to come out and resist the quarantine operation following a Court of Appeals ruling declaring as unconstitutional Interior and Local Government Secretary Alfredo Lim's spray-painting campaign against the houses of suspected drug lords in Manila.

Fernando said he was merely using his police powers in implementing the quarantine operations as mandated by City Ordinance 246 initially set in motion in 1997.

The ordinance requires visitors in Singkamas and Mais streets to register first with the barangay authorities before they are allowed to enter the community.

The scheme would provide for easier monitoring of their movements within the locality.

Since the ordinance was revived two weeks ago, the Marikina police have reportedly arrested four suspected drug users who had bought shabu in the area. Drug charges have been filed against them before the city prosecutor's office.

The police also claimed that drug trading had stopped inside the quarantine area.

Meanwhile, the government of Parañaque was reportedly studying the possibility of implementing another unique way of combating the drug trade in the city.

In a press statement, Parañaque City Mayor Joey Marquez said he was optimistic that their scheme would be approved by Lim.

"We will not paint their houses, instead we will appeal to them publicly through a loud speaker to stop their illegal activities," Marquez said.

The mayor said he would request the police for a list of the names of suspected drug pusher and their protectors.

If Lim approves the plan, Marquez said they would equip a van with a public address system to be used in appealing to the suspects.

"By doing this, we could not be branded as human rights violators, as we are simply airing our appeal not to everybody but only to a single individual," Marquez stressed. -- With Jaime Laude