Agents of the Philippine Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) inspect luggage arriving and departing from Cebu City ports as part of their interdiction efforts in ports and terminals./ FILE PHOTO COURTESY OF PDEA RO VII Facebook page
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The impending creation of a task force against the entry of illegal drugs in Central Visayas will strengthen existing interdiction efforts by authorities.
The task force will allow authorities to tap the help of local government units where chosen personnel will be trained as force multipliers in interdiction measures, said Leia Alcantara, spokesperson of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7).
“…need gyud nato i-intensify kay ato man gyud na giangkon kuwang man gyud ta sa personnel so kung mapun-an mas maintensify atong unit mas ma secure nato ang atoang mga borders,” Alcantara said.
The task force will focus on intercepting the entry of illegal drugs and Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia will serve as the drug czar or overseer of the task group.
READ: Gwen declares ‘all-out war’ vs drugs
It can be recalled that Garcia declared an ‘all-out war’ against illegal drugs last September 2022.
Alcantara said that the creation of this task force is another step in that direction considering that Cebu has several seaports and airports that could be used as transshipment points.
Earlier, Police Colonel Rommel Ochave, director of the Cebu Police Provincial Office, said that the task force does not mean that illegal drugs are rampant in the region.
He said that the move is just to ensure that drug shipment is curtailed considering that Central Visayas has several seaports and airports. /rcg
READ: Task force against illegal drug entry soon in Central Visayas