Police Major Windell Abellana, Public Information Officer of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) | Emmariel Ares
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Some P3 million worth of suspected shabu was confiscated by authorities during a one-week Simultaneous Anti-Criminality Law Enforcement Operation (SACLEO) in Cebu province.
Police Major Windell Abellana, Public Information Officer of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), said that 47 anti-illegal drug operations were conducted from January 22 to January 28, 2024, throughout the province.
Within this period, 441.26 grams of suspected shabu with a Standard Drug Price (SDP) of P3,000,568 were confiscated.
READ: Mandaue police nab ex-con with ‘shabu’ worth P680,000
Shabu seized and 63 individuals nabbed
Sixty-three individuals were also apprehended in the campaign against illegal drugs.
Abellana also said that they already filed criminal cases against 106 alleged drug personalities.
Apart from their operations against illegal drugs, 9 individuals were also arrested out of the 29 operations against possession of loose firearms.
This resulted to the confiscation of 12 unlicensed firearms. Moreover, a total of 19 firearms were turned over by individuals to police personnel.
READ: Buy-bust: 5 persons caught with P74,800 shabu in Bohol
Illegal gamblers caught
Abellana also said that police arrested 73 individuals for illegal gambling out of the 37 operations that they conducted.
During these operations, they recovered P11,378 betting money.
For the serving of arrest warrants, he said that authorities arrested 28 wanted persons, where two were categorized as Most Wanted Persons (MWP).
The other 26 arrested individuals were described as Other Wanted Persons (OWP).
On the enforcement of the local ordinances, their 2,611 operations resulted in the implementing of a fine for 1,109 persons. On the other hand, 65 individuals were warned.
Abellana added that the CPPO aims to sustain the crime prevention gains of the province.
READ: Lapu-Lapu drug bust: P680,000 ‘shabu’ seized from HVI
Cooperation of families
He also said that the solution to the drug problem should not be solely relied on to the police as the cooperation of the members of the community would play a necessary role.
Abellana also urged every family member to play an active part in providing a solution to the issue on illegal drugs, instead of adding to the problem.
”[It is] a must for us to call the attention sa member sa atong pamilya nga dili mahimong biktima kay kung hayaan lang nato ang atong law enforcement ang mo-do the action, mo-enforce sa mga balaud, naa pod na siyay epekto sa atong pamilya,” Abellana said.
([It is] a must for us to call the attention of the members of our family that they will not be a victim because if we just leave this to our law enforcers to do the action, enfoce the law, this would also affect the family.)
“So be responsible enough nga mahimo tang part sa solution instead of the problem,” he added.
(So be responsible enough that we will be part of the solution instead of the problem.)| Mark Jayward Bandolon, CTU-TC Intern