Central Visayas policemen converge for indignation rally against illegal drugs at the Fuente Osmeña Circle. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
About a hundred police officers from Central Visayas staged an indignation rally against the sale and use of illegal drugs yesterday morning at the Fuente Osmeña Circle.
Police Regional Office (PRO 7) Director Patrocinio Comendador asked the police to accept the challenge to fight illegal drugs in the region.
“Karong adlawa atong gi-awhag ug atong gihagit ang kapolisan sa paghingusog sa pagbatok sa drogas ug pakiggubat sa drugas (Today, we ask our police to intensify the battle against illegal drugs),” Comendador said.
Comendador also pleaded to some police officers who were tagged as drug protectors to cut their ties with drug dealers.
“Kon dawaton nato ang hagit, maglimpyo sa ta sa atong kaugalingon bag-o ta makiggubat to achieve the moral ascendancy (If we accept the challenge, we should first clean ourselves before we fight against illegal drugs to achieve moral ascendancy),” Comendador said.
As evidenced by the recent arrests and killings of high-level drug personalities in Central Visayas, Comendador said that the PRO 7 is serious in its campaign against illegal drugs.
In the first half of 2016, the PRO 7 has already conducted 1,303 anti-illegal drugs operations and confiscated around P117 million worth of shabu.
The indignation rally was also in line with the kick-off of the Police Community Relations Month, which highlights the community’s role in hampering crimes.
Regional Officer for Police Community Relations Clarito Baja urged the community to actively participate in the war against drugs.
“With the leadership of our incoming president who pledged to destroy this problem once and for all, we too must support him in completely eradicating, if not reducing, the use of illegal drugs,” Baja said.
The rally will just be the start of the region-wide campaign against illegal drugs.
Pardo Police Station has already responded to the challenge of Comendador. Senior Insp. Randy Caballes said they already partnered with the community to report any drug-related activity.
The program encouraged a lot of drug traders and users to surrender. /UP Cebu Intern Patrick Byron G. Gattoc