Deretsahan
Dagupan & Urdaneta, still shabu hotbeds
By Bebot Villar
IT’S encouraging to see na nagkakaroon ng positive reactions to some of the issues ang ilan sa mga panawagan natin sa column natin.
Ilang beses na rin akong nanawagan sa ating mga public officials to act and get their acts together in the fight against illegal drugs in the province. Nagmistula na akong sirang plaka but I didn’t lose hope and I remained hopeful na magising din sa katotohanan ang ating mga officials.
The good news is, finally nagpatawag ng meeting si Vice Gov. Ferdie Calimlim last Monday attended by officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency led by its Regional Director Jeff Tacio, Vice Mayors League led by its president Roy Macanlalay of Calasiao, Provincial Liga ng mga Barangay thru its executive vice president Alfe Soriano na syang Liga president of Malasiqui, Provincial Health Office through Dr. Ana de Guzman, Sangguniang Kabataan Provincial Federation staff dahil wala ‘yong president nila, among others.
The drug situation in Pangasinan was presented by the PDEA, and consistent with what I have been saying in this corner, itong barangays Bonuan Binloc at Bonuan Gueset in Dagupan City and Camantiles at Doňa Trining in Urdaneta City are the known hotbeds for illegal drug trading dahil sila ‘yong mga naturingang drop-off points. Mga major shabu tiangge!
Talamak ang bentahan at bilihan dyan and this has been going on for a long time. This was confirmed mismo by PDEA in that meeting. And if we don’t act decisively to stop the drug trading in those areas, yong street level pushing will continue to spread to other towns. So huwag na kayong magtaka kung sa barangay n’yo ay dumadami ang mga drug addicts.
Hindi rin maikakaila na itong four cities of Pangasinan, namely Dagupan, Urdaneta, Alaminos and San Carlos are already heavily drug-affected. Ewan ko kung bakit mukhang “see no evil, hear no evil” yata ang mga local government officials in those cities basta drugs na ang pinag-uusapan. Mukhang busy sa campaign… I hope hindi druglords ang kanilang funders.
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But the question is, hahayaan na lamang ba natin na ang mga druglords and pushers to freely operate sa paligid natin hanggang sa dumami nang dumami ang bilang ng mga victims, ng drug users?
PDEA just confirmed that the drug pushers they recently arrested sa Aringay and Agoo, La Union admitted they got their supply of shabu from Dagupan and Urdaneta. An even more alarming situation ay ang paggamit na ng mga bata ng mga drug syndicates as couriers. A 15-year old girl was recently nabbed during a buy-bust sa Dagupan gabi ng Martes for peddling drugs and this was not the first time it happened here. The fact is, it is now happening all over the country.
Here’s the kicker. At pag wala na pambili ang mga drug users at addict ng kailangan nilang droga, what’s next na gagawin nila? They rob and steal whatever from whoever to sustain their vice! They start selling items from their own homes hanggang sa masanay na rin sila and start stealing from others, mang-hold-up, mag-akyat-bahay at kung anu-ano pa kung saan pwedeng kumita.
SANA ANG MGA DRUG PUSHERS AT SYNDICATES AY MADALIIN NANG KUNIN NI LORD!
That’s why the active involvement of elected officials, from the barangay, municipality/city hanggang sa provincial level, ay napaka-importante. The moment the drug syndicates and their pushers know na active ang mga officials in cooperating with law enforcement agencies natin, aatras sila knowing hindi sila makakabenta.
Pero kung kunwaring takutin lang sila na kesyo susunugin ang mga bahay ng mga pushers na yan, gaya ng style ng isang city mayor ng Pangasinan, na hanggang daldal lang naman pala, wala, tatawanan lang kayo! Magyayabang pa sila na protector talaga nila si mayor.
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We have to reactivate PADACC, CADACC at BADACC at kung pwede sana ay bigyan na rin ng maski konting budget itong fight against drugs at hindi lang hanggang tarpaulin lang o pa islo-slogan lang o MOA-signing kuno. (Dati may milyong appropriation ang mga LGUs sa anti-drug campaign) Dapat gayahin ang example ni Dagupan City Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez who’s leading a campaign maski galing sa sariling personal funds nya. In Urdaneta kaya, ano ang ginagawa ng mayor & vice mayor? Maganda at malinis nga ang city pero ang droga talamak naman. Kailangan hindi lang puro daldal at pa-miting-miting.
Tama si Vice Gov. Ferdie. If the 1, 333 barangays in 44 towns and 3 cities directly under the provincial government, plus 31 barangays sa Dagupan na chartered city, will get their acts together, madaling sugpuin yang droga na yan! “We’re more than willing to help Secretary Bebot Villar, he being at the helm of DDB and a fellow Pangasinense, to eradicate drugs in Pangasinan!” ani nya. Salamat at aasahan ko yan! At tutukan ko ang mga actions taken ninyo ni Gov. Espines!
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