City’s contra-drug textline proved effective, say
THE ‘No to Drugs Textline’ of the Dagupan City government proved effective in the city’s campaign war versus drugs.
P/Supt. Christopher Abrahano, city police chief, told The PUNCH that 60 percent of arrests of drug pushers were triggered by the information the city police station through the textline.
Meanwhile, he said from July 1-26, 429 self-confessed drug users and pushers have surrendered to the police, 80 percent of whom are drug users. The youngest is 15 years old and the oldest is a senior citizen.
To date, Barangay Pantal has the highest number of drug surrenderees, Abrahano said.
Those who surrendered in Barangay Gueset 3 weeks ago, reportedly numbering 500, have not been included in the police list since they surrendered only to their their barangay captain, and were not processed and documented by the police.
They still need to be documented by the police, he added.
He said, the city police station had conducted 17 anti-drug operations, implementing search and arrest warrants and buy-bust operations, still considered the highest in Region 1 since the new administration of President Duterte took over.
These resulted in the arrest of 16 drug personalities.
He said out of the 33 priority targets, 16 have been neutralized, either killed or arrested since the last quarter last year.
Four drug personalities had been killed in armed encounter with the police while six other known drug suspects were shot dead by unidentified suspects.
About 500 have been listed under their drug watch list but Abrahano said there are more that have surfaced.
But what he considered significant in the month of July is the price of shabu for one bulto (consists of five grams). “It has increased from P5,000-P6,000 to P12,000 to P15,000,” he said.
He said it’s proof that supply is low owing to the intensified all-out war against drugs of the administration.
“Even if there is supply, they (suppliers) could hardly bring them out,” he said.
Mayor Belen Fernandez launched the ‘No to Drugs Textline’ during the Aquino administration yet as she had been a strong advocate for a drug-free Dagupan. The text hotline is 09473777777 manned by staff from the Mayor’s Office 24/7.
Raw reports received are kept confidential and are validated by the police.
Abrahano said there is no more organized drug syndicate operating in the city, and those that used to operate in Barangay Binloc have transferred their operations to other areas. (Tita Roces)
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