WAR VS. ILLEGAL DRUGS INTENSIFIES

LINGAYEN—The Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPPO) is set to launch Oplan DIGUNG next week to further intensify its all-out war versus illegal drugs, even as 1,059 drug personalities have surrendered to various police stations since July 1.

A week earlier, PPPO acting police director P/Sr. Superintendent Ronald Lee reported only 200 to the provincial board during his courtesy call.

Lee said Oplan DIGUNG (Droga’y Iwaksing Ganap, Upang baNsa’y Mapayapang Ganap) will further intensify the campaign and the collaborative efforts in the fight against illegal drugs involving various community stakeholders, i.e., local government units, Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Commission on Higher Education, other government agencies, will result in the surrender of more drug users and pushers in the weeks ahead.

The Oplan participants will initially take drug tests and will visit schools to help disseminate information through lectures and forums to boost the campaign against illegal drugs among the students.

Lee said the cases of the drug personalities who surrendered so far are being documented in coordination with local government units, and they will undergo counseling and rehabilitation if warranted.

The drug users and pushers that surrendered are being placed under the custody of either the barangay, the non-government organization, or religion sector that assisted them.

Lee said, so far, no warrant of arrest has been issued against any of the self-confessed drug users or pushers.

He said the PNP’s Campaign Plan Double Barrel for high-value targets and street-level personalities and Project Tokhang (which means knock and plead) are already being implemented in the province.

“Our policemen are motivated to work harder because they see the all-out support of our higher authorities,” Lee said.

The five stages of Double Barrel include: collection and validation of information/list submitted by Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council; coordination with local government units, non-government organizations and other government agencies; house-to-house visitation; processing/documentation of drug personalities who surrender; and monitoring and evaluation.

“They (drug personalities) are now coming out, including those who were not initially included in the watch list but are already into drugs” he added.

Ninety-five percent of policemen in Pangasinan have also taken the drug test and only one was positive who went through confirmatory test, Lee said but clarified that the result of the confirmatory test has not been released.

Meanwhile, P/Supt. Jackie Candelario, spokesman of Pangasinan Police, said, from July 1 to 12, 104 anti-illegal drugs operations were conducted that resulted in the arrest of 123 drug personalities.

Killed were eight drug personalities in an armed encounter with policemen, he said. (Tita Roces/ Johanne Macob)

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