Tomas supports PNP’s role in anti-drugs fight

Espino

The illegal drugs problem in Cebu City is far from over.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña said this is the reason why he is happy that the Philippine National Police (PNP) is again actively involved in the government’s anti-drugs campaign.

“I am very, very happy because we are fortunate to have a very good and efficient police. (City Police) Chief (Joel) Doria is doing a fine job,” he said.

Osmeña said that he used to get a lot of tips from concerned Cebuanos on illegal drugs operations in their barangays.

He said that he had been getting fewer tips sent to him through text message since President Rodrigo Duterte directed the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to takeover the government’s anti-drugs campaign.

Still, he is happy because reduction in the number of tips that he has been getting lately could also mean reduction in the proliferation of illegal drugs in the city.

“Maybe it’s a good sign because it (the tips that I have been getting) is reducing,” he told reporters during his press conference on Friday.

Osmeña is asking Cebuanos to continue to send him information on illegal drugs operations in their barangays as a means of helping the police.

As this developed, Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) said they are now in the process of reactivating the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) of the different police stations and offices in the region.

But first, they will have to re-assess the performance of its existing personnel to determine if there is a need for retraining.

“The directive is for us to reactivate all DEU down to the municipal stations and at the same time to conduct vetting process on those PNP personnel assigned as drug operatives,” he said.

Espino said they will have to make sure that none of the DEU personnel are involved in illegal drug activities.

Also, they plan to give them a retraining on the police operational procedures in the conduct of anti-drugs operations and investigations.

Duterte earlier asked the police to cease their illegal drugs operations and instead allow PDEA to take the lead.

Espino said that while they were inactive in the war against drugs in the last two months, they continued to monitor the movement of drug personalities in the region.