FOURTH District Board Member Jerry Agerico Rosario has called for transparency and coordination among law enforcement agencies following a wave of illegal drug confiscations across several municipalities in the province over the past two weeks.

In the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on October 13, Rosario expressed concern over the magnitude of the operations and the conflicting reports surrounding them.

“There had been several pronouncements of the amount and price of the illegal drugs, with some saying it was P850 million, while other reports pegged the market value at more than P6 billion. Several individuals were arrested,” Rosario said in his privilege speech before the provincial board.

While commending the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard, and other involved agencies for what he described as “a successful series of drug busts,” Rosario emphasized the need for the provincial board to be properly briefed on the full scope of the anti-drug operations.

He raised pressing questions about the nature and scale of the operations, and said, “The Sangguniang Panlalawigan needs to be enlightened on the nature and extent of the operations being conducted in the province, the personalities involved, and the reason why these had been stored in various municipalities.”

Rosario formally requested that a comprehensive report be submitted to the Sanggunian Panlalawigan by all agencies involved.

He said such a report is necessary not just for the record but to help the provincial government develop local policies and interventions that support the national government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

The series of drug seizures has shocked residents and raised concerns about the province’s vulnerability as a transshipment point in the illegal drug trade. (Eva Visperas)