LABELLA
CEBU City Acting Mayor Edgardo Labella says the pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte about Cebu having the highest drug rate should serve as a wake up call for Cebuanos to fight the drug menace.
“Whether highest or lowest, (it) does not make any difference. The fact that there is a drug problem that should be addressed by all of us,” Labella said in his press conference yesterday.
He emphasized that the drug problem cannot be solved by the authorities alone; they need the help of the community, academe, teachers, business and civic groups.
“This has metamorphosed to a social problem not just an ordinary drug or whatever problem. It has metamorphosed into a social problem which all of us must work together to solve,” he said.
Last Wednesday, Duterte said drug problem in the Philippines has reached epidemic proportions with Cebu having the highest drug rate in the country.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who is currently out of the country, in reaction to the President’s announcement, posted on his Facebook page, “…Well, that just means I have my work cut out for me. We’re off to a good start.”
Along with the mayor’s post was a photo uploaded showing nine of 10 drug suspects in Cebu City were arrested.
These drug suspects were identified as Tristan Gaeos (Barangay Apas), Ernesto Laurenciana (Barangay Calamba), John Edward Cuizon (Barangay Calamba), Rene Cabuenas (Barangay Pung-ol Sibugay), Joe Romagos (Barangay Apas), Norman Alducente (Barangay Day-as), Rodelio Bontuyan (Barangay Pulang Bato), Tacio Ocampo (Barangay Inayawan) and Rading Overes (Barangay Bacayan).
Teodoro Cabrian (Barangay Sudlon II) was identified on the photo as “neutralized”.
The photo posted by the mayor also had caption on the lower photo which read, “We got 9 of 10. (Well, nobody’s perfect!) Congrats to the Cebu City Police Department.”
Director Yogi Filemon Ruiz of PDEA-7 earlier said that Duterte’s information was based on July last year which is considered as old data.
There are also 128 out of 203 barangays in the different towns in Cebu province which have been declared “drug free” by the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) and provincial government.
Meanwhile, Labella revealed that they are organizing a drug summit.
“We are on the process of working drug summit. We will be calling drug summit. All sectors in the community will be involved,” he said.
Asked if he was satisfied by the performance of the authorities like the police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Labella said, they are doing good but they needed to do more and do better.