Talisay cops launch campaign to win over Tangke community’s hearts

The Talisay Police together with the other government and volunteer organizations, conduct a cleanup drive along shorline of Sitio Rattan, Barangay Tangke, Talisay City, on Saturday morning, February 8, 2020. | Photo grabbed from Talisay Police Facebook page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police are attacking the drug menace in Barangay Tangke, Talisay City in two fronts — intensifying their anti-illegal drug campaign to arrest drug personalities and a concerted effort to win over the hearts and minds of the people in the community.

On Saturday, February 8, the Talisay City Police launched a series of community-involving activities that would bring the police closer to the people.

Police Major Gerard Ace Pelare, Talisay City Police Station chief, said that community activities were among strategies that would help them achieve the goal of freeing the area from the proliferation of illegal drugs.

“It will bring the police closer to the people and will encourage them to give more information,” said Pelare.

Read more: 30 PRO-7 cops deployed to help Talisay policemen clear Tangke of drugs in three months

Police and their partner government organizations and volunteer organizations started the day by targeting the community folks’ stomachs with a feeding program. Then they followed this up with a dialogue with children in the area, whom the police entertained with children’s stories.

After the two activities were done, the volunteer residents, organization, Talisay City police, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) and the personnel from the local government unit proceeded to the shoreline in Sitio Rattan for the cleanup drive.

Soon the garbage along the shoreline were removed, and the people in the community were able to appreciate the sand and the sea breeze, said Pelare.

The communal comfort rooms in the area were also repaired, tidied up, and painted anew — so these would be ready for use by the Tangke residents.

According to Pelare, these community-involving activities was an important factor for the success of the Oplan Limpyo Talisay, a program that would strive to eradicate the illegal drug problem in the city especially in Barangay Tangke.

Read more: De Leon sees marked improvement in Tangke, Talisay

He said that while they would continue to conduct relentless buy-bust operations to arrest all the drug personalities in the community, they would also want to assist the residents in providing for their basic needs.

“The PNP also wants to help in community upliftment projects in the hope of addressing the root cause of illegal drug use and trade,” said Pelare./dbs