Retired police general and now Daanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot said he would give rewards to policemen who would be able to arrest or neutralize persons involved in illegal drug activity in his municipality.
He said the reward money would be taken from the mayor’s intelligence fund.
“I will offer them P50,000 if they neutralize a drug pusher. Meaning if mapatay gyud nila (if they kill the suspect). Then kung ma-arrest they would receive P10,000 ug kun makiha sila (police), I will provide them free legal services,” Loot said. He also said that he would provide free funeral assistance to those pushers killed.
He gave the town’s police chief 60 days to go after illegal drug personalities in the municipality.
He said he would dismiss policemen if they fail to comply with their campaign against illegal drugs dubbed “Oplan Crystal.”
Loot also warned policemen who were afraid to do their duties.
“Well, they have no right (to not go after drug personalities). In the first place, if they are afraid nga maresbakan sila (of being retaliated), I won’t accept their reasons. I will dismiss them from their position right away,” he said.
“Papahuwaon nako ang mga pulis kun dili nila mapahawa ang mga illegal drug personalities (I would oust the policemen if they could not oust illegal drug personalities),” he added.
Loot said he would also offer free rehabilitation services to children (who are drug addicts) who would be turned over by their parents.
“I would give free scholarship, sa ilang mga anak nga dili drug addict,” he said.
Loot also assured drug personalities that they would not be arrested if they submit themselves to the police, except those with outstanding warrant of arrest.
Instead, they would be made to sign some documents to keep their promise not to engage in illegal activities again.
“If dili sila mag-usab (If they do not change), I have two options. One, you get out of the town or face arrest. Two, to the cemetery or lubnganan ka padong if dili ka magpadakop (Go to the cemetery if you resist arrest),” Loot said.
Loot said he is planning to widen the cemetery.
“Ako ni siyang panindoton ug palapdan aron mapuy-an sa mga drug pushers (I will beautify and widen this (cemetery) for drug pushers to stay),” he said.
During his visit to Gov. Hilario Davide III at the Capitol yesterday, Loot suggested to the governor to synchronize the implementation of Oplan Crystal all over the Cebu province.
“I have the template and (Oplan Crystal was) proven effective when I was regional chief of anti-narcotics group in Region 7. Pilot area was Daanbantayan,” Loot said.
“The Oplan Crystal is a practical approach nga gipangayo sa (asked by) Manila. That’s why it became a template for total eradication of drugs in rural areas. So now, I presented it to the governor so that it would be implemented synchronically,” he said.
The campaign against illegal drugs is a primary responsibility of the police.
Nevertheless, Loot said that if there is no strong mandate from the local government unit, then the campaign has no direction.
“Kung walay igo nga mandasyon gikan sa LGU then walay direksyon,” Mayor Loot said. /with UP Cebu Intern Maurice Jitty M. Villaester