Does anybody know?

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) recently identified over 8,000 barangays in the country as drug-infected. We wonder how many of these are in Pangasinan since the province has been tagged as a major transshipment point for illegal drugs? Does anybody know?

This is the baseline information that must be established if the touted all-out campaign against illegal drugs must succeed. Today, except for the reports of the number of arrests made, and unverified value of seized shabu, nobody in Pangasinan seems to really know where the targets are.

The only known fact is that only one town in Pangasinan, Sto. Tomas, can lay claim that it has consistently been a drug-free town over the decades. So obviously, all towns and cities are infected but which of the barangays are drug-free and which are not? More importantly, how many towns/cities and barangays have activated their Anti-Drug Advisory Councils? Nobody seems to know.

It is imperative, therefore, that the Pangasinan Provincial Police Office, the Governor’s office and the Liga ng mga Barangay collaborate with PDEA to validate their respective data on the extent of the network of the drug syndicates operating in the province.

Gov. Amado Espino Jr. was right to call for a provincial summit on the illegal drugs last December. However, without a follow-up summit to validate gains and losses after six months, the campaign could very well end up as ningas cogon.

We hope Mr. Espino will the find reason to call the provinces local execs back to the table for their first assessment since they last raised their the No.1 hand sign as a gesture of commitment.

 

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Surveys or ‘sure buys?’

IN 2013, Jinggoy Estrada was consistently No. 1 in surveys to top the senatorial elections that year.  After the counting of votes, Grace Poe was No. 1; Jinggoy Top 10.  Three years before that, in the 2010 vice presidential elections, Mar Roxas was consistently the runaway winner over Jojo Binay.  After the counting of votes, Binay was the victor over Roxas.  These are just two examples why surveys are not to be taken hook, line and sinker.  But we see yet again a slew of surveys bombarding us.  It used to be that Binay was the consistent No. 1 choice in numerous surveys to become president in the 2016 polls.  Just recently, however, Poe dislodged Binay.  Even in the vice presidential race, Poe was also No. 1.

Are surveys being done by people who care for honest elections, using their own financial resources?  Or do surveys happen for a fee—the logistics coming from lobby/interest groups to disguise surveys as “sure buys?”  Be wise.  Analyze.

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