SENIOR Supt. Noli Romana’s order to investigate the possible involvement of some Cebu City police officers in the drug trade was a knee-jerk reaction to the spate of drug arrests involving women tandems within the past week.
The arrests of Editha Paul and her daughter Maricris as well as Teresa Bulambao and Cristeta Montebon came on the heels of the murder of Ubay, Bohol police chief George Caña allegedly at the behest of former policeman-turned-suspected drug trafficker Owen Rosales, who died in a shootout at a resort last week.
As if that wasn’t enough, the ex-cop’s former girlfriend was a Talisay City native who got caught in the crossfire and whose remains were brought home last Wednesday.
The two arrests yielded P10 million worth of shabu or ice, raising questions as to whether it is related to the Bohol shootings.
Romana was previously assigned in Negros Oriental where he was criticized by higher-ups in Camp Crame for failing to resolve the drug menace there.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama prevailed in having Romana assigned in the city and more than a year later, the police chief’s failure to stamp out illegal drugs in Negros Oriental came back to haunt him in the Queen City of the South.
The use of women as drug mules is just one of many devices used by syndicates to peddle their illegal trade. In the case of Editha and Maricris the drugs were supposedly transported with some sandals.
As far as Bulambao and Montebon were concerned, they claimed that their supply comes from Muntinlupa City. We also heard worse cases of drugs being transported through cruder, even deadlier means.
Drug stashes are stored inside animals and even people, requiring operations.
With the drug-trafficking trade hauling in millions and even billions of pesos, little wonder why traffickers resort to these methods. On the other hand, the involvement of Rosales, while not a unique phenomenon, raises questions on whether some Cebu policemen may be on the take and some housekeeping may be in order.
There’s a host of solutions out there to resolve the ever-teeming drug trade and it all involves an aggressive campaign by the government, the private sector and the communities.
The drug trade isn’t something that Cebu City and other Metro Cebu local government units (LGUs) are isolated from as evidenced by Cebu City Councilor James Cuenco’s speech describing barangay Kamagayan as a red light district and drug haven.
While such a predicament has yet to be fully addressed, it isn’t impossible. As Cebu City police chief, it is Senior Supt. Noli Romana’s responsibility to eradicate the drug menace. Would he succeed in Cebu City after failing to do so in Negros? Cebu City residents can help him do so.