TALIÑO
PRO-7 chief to pushers: We are back, hide
Hide or stop your illegal drug activities.
Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) director, gave this warning yesterday after receiving reports from police in the province about the resurgence of the illegal drugs trade in their areas after President Durterte ordered a stop in the role of police in the war against drugs as the Philippine National Police underwent an internal cleansing of its ranks.
Taliño said yesterday that the police had been ordered them back in the anti-drug war.
“Magtago na naman kayo kung kayo ay naglabasan dahil nandito na naman ang ating mga pulis na mag-iimplement ng campaign against illegal drugs (You better hide if you had returned to your illegal ways because the police are back to implement the campaign against illegal drugs),” Taliño said.
He encouraged them to surrender for the good of the community.
Senior Supt. Eric Noble, Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) chief, earlier admitted that members of the groups of two jailed drug lords — Franz Sabalones and Alvaro “Barok” Alvaro — had been monitored to have gone back to selling illegal drugs.
Noble said the resurgence of Barok’s group had been monitored but he had yet to speak with the Danao police chief on the matter.
He also said that people who were subjects in the Oplan Tokhang had also returned to the illegal drug trade especially in the cities of Talisay, Carcar and San Fernando.
On the return of the police in the drug war, Talino said that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) would still be the lead agency.
He said that they would form an anti-narcotics team that would be the implementing arm of the PRO-7 in the drug war.
The team will coordinate with PDEA-7 in conducting its operations.
The team cannot also conduct any Oplan Toktok Hangyo and Oplan Double Barrel operations.
Despite this, Taliño said that PRO-7 could not guarantee that the campaign would not be bloody.
He said drug personalities should not fight back because the police would not hold back.
“We cannot say this will not be bloody. Because these drug pushers and high-value targets already established their illegal business, and most of them will fight back so long as they can protect their illegal activities,” Taliño said in Filipino.