Officials alarmed over illegal drugs in schools

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines – Invasion of illegal drugs in schools of Bohol has reached to an alarming level, according to Provincial Schools Division Superintendent Wilfredo Bongalos, who admitted reports about shabu being sneaked into campuses and sold to students.

Bongalos said school officials must conduct a series of training workshops for the information dissemination against illegal drug abuse to prevent the students from falling into the trap of the drug menace. Mazimizing efforts to encourage students into sports must also be undertaken, he said.

Complementing the activities in school, DepEd partners such as the Couples for Christ have implemented the Cornerstone program offering remedial sessions for values formation that is now being piloted in the towns of Calape, Talibon, Dauis and Alburquerque.

On the other hand, the national office of the Department of Education issued a memorandum to all school officials to ensure the safety of the schoolchildren, following reports that some students had been attacked by drug addicts.

One incident recorded recently at President Carlos P. Garcia town where a schoolgirl was raped and stabbed dead by a neighbor who was a drug addict. Another report had it that some students in a public school in Panglao town were found to have pot sessions in a comfort room. Some students had also dropped out of school after being hooked to drugs.

Provincial Administrator Alfonso Damalerio II, for his part, said the provincial government has been tracking down the operation of illegal drugs in the province and continued its move on two approaches: supply reduction and demand reduction.

The demand reduction approach focuses on the training and increasing awareness of the children against illegal drugs; while the supply reduction approach focus on the law enforcers operations to eliminate illegal drugs. So far, P10-million worth of drugs had already been confiscated in one year.

Senator Bongbong Marcos, who was in Bohol recently, said illegal drugs trade in the country has soared to 2000 percent, citing the decline in values practices in the family and even the involvement of some law enforcers in its proliferation.

Marcos objected to the plan of reviving the death penalty as a deterrent to crimes and illegal drugs. "It serves no purpose, kasi yong papatay ng tao at magbebenta ng drugs hindi nila iisipin na hindi gagawin dahil ma-death penalty sila. Gagawin at gagawin pa rin nila 'yong gagawin nila. As a deterrent it is not as effective. There are other better deterrents."