RUIZ
EVEN with students off to a summer vacation, the sale and use of drugs won’t go down among the youth, the regional Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-7) said yesterday.
PDEA regional director Yogi Filemon Ruiz said it will be “business as usual” for drug pushers even if they cannot prey on students during the summer season since they have other ways to reach them.
He said drug pushers “don’t take vacations” based on his experience in regions where he was previously assigned.
“Parehas man gihapon. Ang mga tarong raman ang magbakasyon, ang mga adik padayon man (It’s all the same. The sober will take a break but the addicts continue),” Ruiz said.
He said they estimate that only 10 percent of students in high school and college are still studying this summer which gives drug pushers room to operate.
Ruiz called on school and barangay officials not to let their guard down and to continue monitoring the whereabouts of their students lest they stray away and be lured by drug pushers.
Ruiz said they have some informants and personnel who continually monitor the identified pushers even if they surrendered to police during Oplan Tokhang.
In fact, Ruiz said the summer season may give the drug pushers ample opportunity to sell their illegal drugs to youths either on a vacation or taking summer classes.