Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III inspects a pack containing 2 kilos of shabu, which was confiscated during a May 2, 2015 operation in San Remigio town in northern Cebu. (CDN FILE)
The Cebu provincial government is asking the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to create a regional task force to monitor drug smuggling in the province.
Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III said the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CPADAC) will pass a resolution requesting PDEA to create the team.
The proposal was agreed upon after a meeting with PDEA-7, Police Regional Office (PRO-7), Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) and CPADAC yesterday.
The task force will identify areas where illegal drug activities thrive and find ways to address the problem.
The proposed task force will be made up of the members of the police, the National Bureau of Investigation, and even the prosecutor’s office to fight and solve the problem against illegal drugs.
The meeting came after last Tuesday’s shootout in Badian town, southwest Cebu where Provincial Intelligence Branch policemen killed a suspected drug pusher and wounded his cousin during a buy-bust operation.
PDEA-7 Director Jeffrey Bangsa said that Region 7 ranks 4th among all regions in high volume of confiscated illegal drugs in 2014.
Bangsa also said that in the first four months of 2015, the illegal drugs they confiscated included 417.11 grams of shabu, 26.11 grams of marijuana, 182 marijuana stalks, and 55.94 grams of cocaine.
He said the confiscated drugs confirms that Cebu is a transit point for the illegal drug trade.
Bangsa said the National Capital Region (NCR) has the highest recorded volume on illegal drugs.