THEY are gunning for the big fish in the illegal drug trade in Cebu City’s barangays.
Director Yogi Felimon Ruiz of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) said that this would be their strategy after they received information from 10 barangay captains about the illegal drug personalities in their areas during a dialogue with them.
“I tell you, di ta kinahanglan mo-go sa street level. Kini nga gipang-share sa ato nga mga information, mga big fish ni, so kon ma-aksyunan na nato ni, for sure kadto mga street level moundang to kay wa nay mo-supply nila. So atong strategy we go after the big fish, kinsay mopuli operasyunan sad dayon,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz lauded Philip Zafra, Association of Barangay Councils Cebu City president, for organizing yesterday’s dialogue between the PDEA-7 and a cluster of 10 barangay captains to address issues of miscommunication and intensify the war on drugs in the barangay level.
The captains of the 10 barangays were the first cluster to meet with PDEA-7.
These barangays, which are areas where several drug operations were conducted, are Barangays Pahina San Nicholas, San Nicholas Proper, Duljo Fatima, Suba, Carreta, Pasil, Calamba, Sawang Calero, Hipodromo and Lorega San Miguel.
“This is a very best practice nga gihimo sa ABC Cebu City, nga gipang-cluster (that they hold a dialogue in clusters). We can have a free flow of information. Mahimo sad ta ni sa Cebu province, sa Bohol and Siquijor (We hope that this would done with Cebu province, Bohol and Siquijor). This will be a big help sa atong (in our) campaign,” said Ruiz.
He said the barangay captains promised to provide information that would be relevant to the anti-drug operations in the barangays.