CCPO chief, Police Colonel Engelbert Soriano. | CDN Digital Photo Morexette Marie B. Erram
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Amid the series of confiscation of large volumes of illegal drugs, the Cebu City Police Office (CPPO) may withhold declaring a drug-free barangay in the city for the meantime.
This was the declaration of CPPO chief, Police Colonel Engelbert Soriano, after policemen from the Waterfront police station seized on Monday, March 9, 2020, illegal drugs estimated to be worth P7.1 million.
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In an interview with the reporters this morning, March 10, Soriano said he does not see any barangay worthy to be declared drug-free given the volume of illegal drugs confiscated around the city in recent days.
He said even mountain barangays have marijuana plantations which the City Mobile Force Company (CMFC) was able to uproot and confiscate.
“While we have the task to clear the barangays, what can we do? Every day we are able to confiscate [illegal drugs], how are we going to clear them?” said Soriano.
He added that only when they can ascertain that a barangay has no trace of illegal drug transactions for a certain period of time, can they make a clearing report.
Meanwhile, Soriano said they are coordinating with the Bureau of Jail Penology and Management (BJMP) of Cebu City, to trace the contact persons claimed by the arrested drug personalities as their source of the illegal substance.
“Ang intelligence officer natin ngayon ay nasa Camp Crame for a briefing and to get instructions directly from our chief PNP tungkol nga dito sa campaign natin and one of the major concerns ay yung posibleng galing sa loob ng jail yung source ng transaction”, Soriano said.
(Our intelligence officer is now in Camp Crame to get the instructions directly from our chief PNP about our campaign and to discuss one of our major concerns, which is that drug transactions are being conducted inside our jails.) /rcg