NEW TOKHANG TEAM

Tokhang units composed of clean cops, priests, barangay officials

Special police Drug Enforcement Units (DEUs) solely for anti-drug operations will have a varied composition as the police resume their anti-illegal drugs campaign dubbed Tokhang 2.

Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) director, Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, said only policemen who have never been involved in any illegal activity or controversy will be qualified to join the drug enforcement units.

They shall be accompanied by barangay officials and priests and/or pastors as they go house to house, knocking on doors and urging residents to surrender to the police if they are involved in drugs.

Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa said only select police would be deployed to continue the war on drugs.

Policemen shall be made to wear body cameras in order to facilitate the monitoring of Tokhang operations and ensure no abuses are done by the police.

Members of the DEU will also undergo further training and seminars to help them in conducting investigations and operations.

Priests

Taliño said he has invited priests, pastors and barangay officials to join them in “Oplan Tohang Part 2”, adding that they need them to help convince drug pushers and users to stop their illegal activities.

“In the war against drugs, the spiritual aspect is very important. We know for a fact that those who are into illegal drugs have forgotten God. Priests and pastors play a vital role in the reformation of drug dependents,” he said in an interview yesterday.

Taliño said he has yet to receive a memorandum from Camp Crame regarding the implementation of the second round of the Tokhang or toktok-hangyo.

But in the meantime, he said he instructed all police station chiefs to start coordinating with their respective parishes.

Taliño clarified that having priests or pastors or their representatives during the conduct of the Oplan Tokhang is voluntary.

Dela Rosa, for his part, said, “We invite them to join the police so that the war on drugs will be multi-sectoral. At least, they will also see that what we are doing is good.”

Welcome

Msgr. Joseph Tan, media liaison officer of the Archdiocese of Cebu, said they welcome any invitation from the police to help address the problem on illegal drugs.

“I’m sure the reported invitation is not exclusive to the Catholic Church but also to other faith communities,” he said in a phone interview.

Tan said the invitation from the PNP is a positive sign that government is willing to work hand in hand with bishops and priests in the war on drugs.

“They don’t look at the Catholic Church as an institution that goes against the government but as a faithful ally and partner that affects the majority of the people. And the Church is happy to work with the government for the good of the people,” he said.

Tan said they have yet to receive the formal invitation from PRO-7 but said Archbishop Jose Palma would be very happy to collaborate with the police in their campaign against illegal drugs.

Taliño said he’s grateful for the efforts of the Archdiocese of Cebu in reaching out to drug surrenderers by organizing community-based drug rehabilitation programs.

“Admittedly, the police has no capability of rehabilitating drug dependents. I welcome the move of the Church in trying to rehabilitate drug addicts,” he said.

Support

Both the provincial and city governments of Cebu favor the inclusion of priests in the anti-drug units.

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III said the inclusion of priests in the anti-drug operations of the police will give credence to Dela Rosa’s promise that the PNP would exert all efforts to make the campaign “less bloody.”

“Ang impact ana is that everyone is involved in the campaign against drugs — the church, the community, the police,” he said. “Mao man na gyud, this is not the problem of the police alone. Hasta ang simbahan, hasta ang community. I support that. And also, it will give credence to the announcement nga kining bag-ong tokhang will be more peaceful.”

Davide emphasized that policemen who will compose the team should be trustworthy.

“Pilion gyud ang mga tawo nga tarong, nga kasaligan gyud,” he said. “Not just all the PNP there kay naa man sad mga PNP nga while the cleansing of their ranks is going on, naa pud gihapoy involved ana. So pilion ilang mga units nga maayo, mga tarong, mga kasaligan nga dili mapalit, dili mabayran, nga dili pud mga user, mga pusher.”

(They should choose men who are credible and trustworthy because while the PNP is now cleansing its ranks, there are still many involved in drugs.)
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña supports the resumption by the police of their anti-illegal drugs campaign.

“Yes, because drugs is grassroots problem. You cannot solve it by an executive order or hierarchy or commander,” he told reporters in a press conference yesterday.

He left the decision to invite priests during the operations to Cebu City Police Director Joel Doria and Councilor David Tumulak, his deputy mayor for police matters.

“I have no objections. I am willing to try anything,” the mayor added.

Tumulak said the presence of priests during Tokhang operations would be a big help to allay the fears of the community.

“Kay dili man sad nato ikalimod nga dunay drug dependents, drug users makuyawan sa police labi na makakita sa police,” Tumulak added.

(We cannot deny that drug dependents, drug users are frightened of the police.)

He also said the presence of priests would deter police abuse.

“Ang operatives if magbinuang, makonsensya kay naa may laing witness (They will hesitate to commit abuses because there are other witnesses),” Tumulak said.

Names

Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) director Senior Supt. Eric Noble said police stations in the province have already proposed the names of the police and the number of men to compose their own DEUs.

“They already submitted a list of names, but we are checking the nominees if they qualify,” Noble said.

It is most important that policemen assigned to the DEU have never been investigated or have any pending cases.

While they are in the process of validating the nominees, Noble said police stations can now conduct anti-illegal drug operations so long as they coordinate with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

“Pwede naman sila mag-conduct na. Yung mga operations in the past days, ano yun, normal police enforcement lang yun,” Noble said.

(They can now conduct drug operations. The operations in the past days, those were normal police enforcement.)

In Cebu City Senior Supt. Doria said they have not yet created DEUs for every station.

He said that there will be at least five personnel that will compose the DEU in every police station, although some stations would have more than five men.

“Depende sa need. Like sa stations natin, there are some areas na marami ang kailangan kasi rampant doon ang drugs sa area nila,” Doria said.
(It will depend on the need. There are some areas where more men are needed because drugs are rampant there.)/With Izobelle Pulgo, Michellle Joy Padayhag and Jose Santino Bunachita