By Leonardo Micua

 

HERE’S a big cause for alarm for all of us.

A report from PDEA that bigger volume of illegal drugs, particularly shabu, have been entering Pangasinan since the start of the year. In fact, we consider this report as more factual and alarming than what former President Rodrigo Duterte claimed about President Bong Bong Marcos during a contra rally in Davao City last week, that he is a drug addict and was in the drug watch list of the PDEA, but which the latter agency instantly denied.

In a phone-patch interview over IFM Dagupan, PDEA Provincial Director Richie Camacho cited the arrests of two high-value targets in Dagupan City last week from whom P350,000 worth of shabu were seized.

“Medyo lomolobo,” was Camacho’s reply to IFM  Radio anchorman Badz Agtalao’s question about the current drug situation in Pangasinan. He then called on all barangay officials and other stakeholders to help the PDEA and PNP in clearing all barangays that are still affected by illegal drugs.

Today, there are now 32 towns/cities, out of the 48 in Pangasinan, that have been declared drug-cleared. The towns of Bolinao and Agno, both in western Pangasinan, were the latest.

With four more towns submitting their applications to be drug-cleared soon, that leaves only 12 LGUs yet to be drug-cleared in the coming months.

PDEA also reported that there are now 12 LGUs that already established their respective Balay Silangan Drug Reformation Centers that provide one-month in-house rehabilitation to drug pushers and those already charged in Court but pleaded guilty for a lesser offense.

Camacho said while there are only 12 LGUs having their respective Balay Silangan Centers, there are other private facilities that still have not signed a MOA with the LGUs that offer rehab services but their clients pay for the rehab treatment.

Citing the 11 initial clients of the Balay Silangan in Dagupan when it opened last January 24, Camacho said their free one-month in-house rehabilitation is just their first of the three steps before they are released to their families.

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More about illegal drugs. We heard FPRD’s tirades against PBBM that Bong-Bong was (or is?) a drug addict and that was hard to believe.  PDEA’s clearing of PBBM involvement in illegal drugs was corroborated by the PNP and even by Senator Bato de la Rosa, a former PNP chief.

As a lawyer, FPRD knows that it takes more than soundbites to pin down a sitting President. No less than Speaker Martin Romualdez challenged Duterte to put up or shut up because in law, the burden of proof is on the plaintiff. 

If he really saw the name of BBM in the drug watch list of the PDEA, then by all means he should show it to the Filipino people. 

Without any evidence, no one can stop PBBM and the people from thinking that his allegations could be the effect of his long use of a painkilling drug called Fentanyl.

PBBM, in response to a question from Palace reporters on the issue raised by FPPRD, said: “ I think it’s the Fentanyl. Fentanyl is the strongest painkiller that you can buy. It is very addictive and it has serious side effect and PRED has been taking the drugs for a very long time now”.

Incidentally, I saw on YouTube that the U.S. and China had joined hands in the crackdown of Fentanyl, a painkilling drug manufactured in China, but was found to have a devastating effect on a person that takes it, worse if taken regularly. 

And FPPRD exacerbated things by calling for the separation of Mindanao from the rest of the Philippines, claiming that Mindanao is not getting its due from the national government.

He’s all wrong. As former president, he knows that a lot of developments seeped through Mindanao under his six-year presidency. And those finished during his reign are being completed by PBBM today.

And he cannot deny that Mindanao is duly represented in the corridors of  power in Manila by five high ranking government officials: one vice president—his daughter Sara, and by four senators. One of these senators is no less than the senate president.

In seeking the separation of Mindanao, many legal luminaries came out on YouTube saying that FPPRD could be charged for inciting to sedition for prodding both the AFP and PNP to stop the politicians behind the People’s Initiative movement.

Former Senator Ping Lacson even asked on X (formerly twitter): “Is this not treason?”#

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