Bohol ‘moderately affected’ by illegal drugs, says PDEA

CLARIN, BOHOL, Philippines – The province of Bohol is generally “moderately affected” as far as illegal drugs abuse is concerned, said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

This surfaced as Ma. Chona Egam of the PDEA-Bohol presented the illegal drug update during the Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting presided over by Governor Edgar Chatto.

The meeting was held also during the HEAT (Health, Education, Agriculture and Tourism) caravan in medical and social mission held here spearheaded by the provincial government, and the 94th foundation day of this town with Mayor Rey Allen Piezas hosting.

“Moderately affected” is a category which means there’s an “existence of at least one pusher or trafficker” based on the Dangerous Drug Board Resolution No. 12, series of 2004, said Egam.

Category one or “seriously affected” means seriously affected with the existence of drug laboratory, den warehouse, dive resort while category 3 (slightly affected) refers to existence to drug users “but no known pushers/traffickers.”

Chatto, who thanked the PDEA for the comprehensive report, said this was first time that PDEA made such report during a PPOC meeting.

Shabu (hydrochloride menthamphetamine) is still the “top most choice among drug users and pushers,” accounting for 70.36 percent of drug abuse, said the PDEA report. It costs or street price between P7,500 and P9,000 per gram. Dried marijuana (Cannavis sativa) comes in next with P100 per 5-gram, while Nubain is priced from P300 to P400 per ampule, it said.

The supply of shabu in Bohol has been mainly sourced from Cebu City and Ozamis City in Misamis Occidental province in Mindanao, PDEA said. This is being transported via the ports of Tagbilaran City and the port towns of Loon, Jagna, Tubigon, Loay, Getafe, Bien-Unido and Talibon, said PDEA.

But PDEA hastened to say: “Although port interdiction is seen as the best counter measure yet it is not being optimized due to constraints of manpower and logistics and the lack of coordination between the port authority and law enforcement agencies.”

Marijuana plants, PDEA said, can be found in at least ten towns of Bohol: Garcia-Hernandez, Carmen, Guindulman, Sagbayan, Danao, Pilar, Inabanga, Bilar, Loon and Maribojoc. Some of these are in the mountain barangays of Bohol, while others are cultivated in pots, it added.

PDEA further recommended for the continuation of the relentless campaign against illegal drugs trade and use; anti-narcotics operations against high profile targets; conduct province-wide drug prevention and education drive;  drug detection and information gathering for Barangay Police; and carry out  joint law enforcement port interdiction. (FREEMAN)