PDEA-PNP ‘misencounter’ won’t happen in Cebu – PDEA-7 chief

Director Levi Ortiz Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas chief, says that the PDEA-PNP misencounter in Quezon City  won’t happen in Cebu, Central Visayas| Contributed Photo (file photo)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The misencounter between the agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday in Quezon City will not happen in Cebu and Central Visayas.

Director Levi Ortiz, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) chief, said this amid the tragic “misencounter” near Ever Gotesco Mall in Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City that left four people dead.

Ortiz said that this was because of the strong partnership of PDEA-7 and the PNP in Cebu and other counterparts in Central Visayas and that their coordination and communication were in synch.

“Sigurado kong walay mahitabo nga ing-ana kay maayo man atong partnership sa PNP, unya naa tay close coordination and communication with the PNP sa tanan nato nga nga trabaho,” Ortiz said.

( I am sure that that incident will not happen here because we have a good partnership with the PNP. Also, we have close coordination and communication with the PNP in all our operations.)

Read: PNP, PDEA vow to continue war on drugs despite QC ‘misencounter’

He said that it had been their primary objective to conduct operations harmoniously with the involved agencies and that what happened would not affect the relationship between the two law enforcement agencies.

“We will look at it in a professional manner ba nga naay panahon gyud nga malason gyud ang mga operation nga naay mahitabo nga ing-ana, but that doesn’t mean nga maguba ang relationship sa counterparts,” Ortiz added.

(We will look at it in a professional manner and that there are times unfortunate things will happen during an operation such as this, but that doesn’t mean that the relationship between our counterparts will be destroyed.)

Read: Barbers: No PNP – PDEA shootout if there was proper coordination

Police Colonel Josefino Ligan, Cebu City Police Office chief, for his part, assured that the collaboration between the CCPO and PDEA-7 in all its drug-related operations would continue.

“With the present relationship nato sa PDEA karon is magpadayon, walay maguba,” Ligan said.

(Our present relationship with PDEA today will continue. Nothing will change or be damaged.)

He also said that before we conduct drug-related operations we coordinate with PDEA-7 and this relationship would continue between both agencies.

Read: PNP, PDEA clam up on details of gunfight between their forces during buy-bust mission