Deretsahan

By July 28, 2014Archives, Opinion

It’s a smaller world for drug traffickers

BEBOT VILLAR

By Bebot Villar

 

WHEN a campaign against the illegal drugs is indeed serious, we get good results.  That’s why the Police Regional Office 1 is very proud about its accomplishments for the past half year. It confiscated almost half a billion worth of illegal drugs!

Ayon sa report, umaabot sa 238,000 marijuana plants, 500,000 seedlings, 293.73 kilograms of dried marijuana leaves and 10.24 kg na buto ng marijuana ang kanilang naagaw from anti-drugs operations in the region. They also confiscated almost 1 kilo of shabu, close to 3 kilos of other drugs and filed 326 cases against 422 arrested suspects.

This is significant dahil noong nakaraang taon, ayon kay Chief Superintendent Roman A. Felix, PRO 1 regional director, only more than 50 million pesos worth of illegal drugs were seized from drug traffickers.

Ilang buhay na kaya ng mga kabataan ang nasira kung ito ay hindi napigilan? Ilang drug-related crime incidents na kaya ang naitala kung naibenta ang mga ito?

The accomplishment of the PRO 1 is proof that we have successful programs vs. illegal drugs. This translates to every seized marijuana leaf or seed or sachet of shabu, is equivalent to one life saved.

So if the illegal drug traffickers still believe that illegal drug trade is “easy-money,”  they are mistaken. Kung sa unang pagkakataon ay nakalusot sila, sa susunod, tiyak, timbog  na sila! A lot more among our citizenry are already aware of the evils of illegal drugs and will no longer allow them to victimize our young.

To the drug traffickers, dederetsahin ko na kayo: Pasikip na nang pasikip ang mundong inyong ginagalawan! Mulat na ang mga mamamayan, kung kaya’t wala na kayong matatakbuhan. Wala nang puwang sa ating bansa ang inyong mga panindang illegal na droga.

In this regard, I wish to congratulate PRO 1 for a job well done. Sana patuloy kayong magsilbing example sa iba pang mga police regional offices.

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Habang puspusan ang mga operations ng PRO 1 laban sa illegal na droga, I am happy to note na wala ding tigil ang Dagupan City government in its education campaign against illegal drugs.

Last week, more than 200 teachers and officers of the Parents Teachers Association in Dagupan attended a symposium on “Keeping our Schools, Barangays and Communities Safe from Drugs.” This is truly productive. Dito kasi nasasagot ang iba’t-ibang questions from teachers, parents at concerned citizens kung ano-ano ang mga dapat gawin to fight illegal drugs.

Many asked why despite the efforts and campaign of the government against illegal drugs, why is it still a major problem in Dagupan?

There are no easy answers to that dahil hindi lang law enforcement ang involved sa pagbaka sa illegal drugs. Many sectors are involved dito at kabilang dito ang mga parents, teachers, at maging ang simbahan. This is why ang main strategies ay nakatutok sa demand at supply reduction.

If some are skeptical about the results of the campaign vs illegal drugs, nagkakamali po sila. Sa Dagupan lamang, malaki na ang nabawas sa mga incidents ng street pushing. Nakabantay palagi diyan si Mayor Belen Fernandez kung kaya’t mangilan-ilan na lamang ang nagtutulak.

According to Superintendent Christopher Abrahano, Dagupan Chief of Police, there were around 100 operations conducted from January of this year and arrested 159 suspects. Patuloy at dapat puspusan ang kampanya laban sa illegal drugs. Sa situation ngayon, bawal kumurap. Malingat ka lang kasi ng konti, agad sumasalisi ang mga pushers at magbebenta. Surrender is not an option in the fight against illegal drugs!

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I also want to update Mayor Fernandez about her request for the construction of a drug-testing laboratory in Dagupan.  Her request is a priority of my office but we still have to wait for the fund release from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

The source of the fund is PAGCOR, a staunch supporter, specifically for the construction of rehabilitation centers in the country. It regularly gives P5M monthly for the purpose.

Ang problema lang, since January of this year and until this month, the PAGCOR fund for DDB has not been released by the DBM although the P5M for each month has been transferred to DBM. For the past years, regular naman ang releases ng DBM and we are experiencing this delay only this year. Hindi po tayo maka-action because of the fund problem.

The requested drug testing lab ng Dagupan and other requests from different provinces that need immediate action are affected.  Hopefully, DBM will be able to release the fund soon.  Marami po ang naghihintay nito para sa pag-papagawa ng rehab centers.

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