2nd Asian anti-drugs gab in P. Princesa

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY — Some 400 international anti-drugs specialists and chief executives of Asian cities renew their united campaign against the global scourge of drug abuse when the 2nd Asian Cities Against Drugs Summit unfolds in this city tomorrow.

The four-day (Sept. 12-15) regional anti-drugs confab is organized by the Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Program and will focus on the theme: "Asian Cities Against Drugs from Conceptualization to Implementation."

As of yesterday, the following countries have confirmed attendance at the conference: Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Nepal, Maldives and the United States.

Douglas Hagedorn, chief of the city’s Drug Enforcement Action Division or Task Force dead, an elder brother of the city mayor, said the city was chosen as the venue of the second regional anti-drugs conference after successfully eradicating the drug-menace in all of the city’s 66 barangays in less than two years.

"Puerto Princesa City holds the distinction of being one of the country’s local government units that has been declared "drugs-syndicate free" as its unrelenting campaign against drug dealers and pushers virtually rid the city of this major international problem in record time," Hagedorn said.

Task Force DEAD which was organized on January 2003, Hagedorn said, confiscated more than P2 million worth of shabu in less than a year. It also arrested and successfully prosecuted 160 drug pushers who are now serving stiff prison terms, he said.

Hagedorn said the Puerto Princesa City anti-drugs campaign undertaken by Task Force DEAD will be one of the presentations to be taken up during the summit.

"This is our contribution to the summit aside from hosting it. We will share our experiences in eradicating drug abuse in our city with our Asian counterparts to underscore and prove that the most potent force in fighting drug abuse is strong, uncompromising political will of government and police officials and the steadfast, consistent support and cooperation of the citizenry," Hagedorn said.

For his part, Mayor Edward Hagedorn said the city’s success in eradicating drug abuse reaffirms the basic philosophy and strategy of the city government in its war against environmental destruction and degradation; criminality and lawlessness, illegal gambling that has made it jueteng-free and other development programs.