Next PRO-7 chief must watch ‘drug areas’

CEBU, Philippines - The next Central Visayas PNP regional director should focus on areas in the province where there is a looming drug problem, this according to Governor Hilario Davide III.

“This is one area, that whoever the regional director sa police would be, should focus on,” said Davide.

On whether the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency is lenient, Davide said he does not want to make conclusions.

“But the situation is there so I think PDEA should look into this because that’s their responsibility,” he said. Davide said he knows of some component cities like Carcar and Danao and other municipalities that have drug concerns.

Last Monday afternoon, PDEA Regional Director Julius Navales paid a courtesy call to Davide along with other PDEA officials. Navales said that they discussed the role of the local executives in the province in mitigating drug problems in Cebu.

“The good governor assured us that he will be there to support,” said Navales, expressing his gratefulness to Davide who assured them of support in getting equipment like bulletproof vests for their agents.

Navales said these are vital for their risky operations. He said they have an agent who was shot in an operation and is still paralyzed.

He also said that their new PDEA building will hopefully be turned over to them next month. Their new building is located in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City, inside the Cebu Provincial Police Office compound. Last year, the provincial government led the groundbreaking ceremony of the new building which is worth P7 million.

Further, Navales said Davide, as the head of the Cebu Province Anti-Drug Abuse Council, said he will be there to push that anti-drug efforts would be activated in the barangay level. Navales explained this is very important since the problem is in the grassroots level.

Navales assumed as regional director of PDEA-7 last December. As far as their monitoring is concerned, Navales said there is a drug concern in Cebu.

“Kahit saan na region naman that exists. That goes with the economic status of the province. Kung ganun ka progressive there’s a lot of demand din,” he added.

But Navales said that they have been intensifying their efforts and so far, they have arrested a number of people. He added that they expect to nab more high-value targets because of their close cooperation with PNP and the National Bureau of Investigation.

“We would like to assure the public in Region 7 that your PDEA-7 is working at its best para masugpo ang illegal drugs,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Dangerous Drugs Board vice chairman, Clarence Paul Oaminal, vowed to give good results in anti-illegal drug operations in Cebu City in the next few days.

Oaminal made the announcement at the 888 News Forum at the Marco Polo Plaza yesterday following the request of Mayor Michael Rama for him to help in the campaign against illegal drugs in Cebu City.

He said that the Cebu City Anti-Drug Abuse Council will convene soon with the PDEA and the PNP.

“Simple ra ang trabaho, manakop ra gyud,” Oaminal said, adding that the PDEA has not done well in its operations in the past several years.

One thing Oaminal proposed is for the city government to come up with the names of the first five drug personalities to be arrested.

“With the leadership of the mayor, we will pressure law enforcement agencies to come up with the list of first five drug personalities to be arrested next,” Oaminal said.

He criticized the labeling by authorities of some small-time dealers as alleged big-time drug personalities.

Another measure Oaminal wants to enforce is to go after stores that buy stolen or snatched items. He said drug addicts are not collectors of snatched items such as cellular phones but exchange them for money to buy illegal drugs. He said that the local government and the police have the power to go after these stores under the law.

There is also a need to focus on identified drug areas which Oaminal called as PDEA or Pasil, Duljo-Fatima, Ermita and A. Lopez in Cebu City.

Oaminal asked newly installed Police Regional Office-7 director, Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr. who was also guests of the forum, to provide more police visibility in those areas.

“Umasa kayo in the coming days we are going to conduct more aggressive campaign against illegal drugs in collaboration with PDEA,” Cerbo assured. –(FREEMAN)