EDITORIAL - Are Cebu City cops next?

Are Cebu City policemen next to be relieved? This question surfaces as the regional police leadership admitted monitoring cases filed by the Cebu City Police Office against arrested drug personalities in the city.

The monitoring, according to Police Regional Office-7 director Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, is to determine whether or not city policemen are serious in their anti-drug campaign. “We are still investigating sa Cebu City. We are monitoring investigation sa Cebu City. Kung nahibaw-an ninyo, in our series of raids, daghan mi nadakpan. We are looking on the cases being filed kay basin ang nahitabo dakop-dakop lang ni,” he said.

This development came after the relief order from Camp Crame of all 65 policemen of the Talisay City Police Station, except for their chief, over drug accusations. They were replaced by personnel of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion.

Aside from the Talisay City policemen, President Rodrigo Duterte, during a recent visit here, had also accused Cebu City policemen and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency regional office of being drug addicts.

Now, it will not be surprising if all Cebu City policemen, except for CCPO director Senior Superintendent Royina Garma, will be relieved from their posts as Camp Crame’s response to the president’s pronouncement.

The Cebu City police cannot escape the reality that illegal drugs is still rampant in the city given the big volume confiscated since Duterte assumed power. Barangays Ermita, Pasil, and Duljo-Fatima are just few of the areas in the city where drugs is selling like hotcakes, something that gave the president a valid reason to declare that Cebu City remains on top of the list of areas heavily affected by drugs.

Well, on the other hand, the huge amount of drugs seized in Cebu only shows the local authorities are relentless in their campaign. However, it’s not really the success of scoring big hauls of illegal drugs that counts. What is more important, if we are going to win the battle, is the ability of the authorities to go after the source to prevent the supply from penetrating the market.