While Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña may have given up on the fight against illegal drugs, there are a lot more people who are willing to pick up the slack, and they’re not to be sneezed at.
Though not a few would see it as political, the covenant signing between Cebu City barangay officials and the Cebu City Police Office is significant in that it will at least give the police more eyes and ears in spotting and sniffing out those illegal drug dealers and users who may continue to engage in the trade long after their fellow users surrendered.
Councilor Philip Zafra, who heads the Association of Barangay Councils, said their assistance to the city police, which had been rebuffed by the mayor following Camp Crame’s move to replace his favorite police chiefs, may not only be limited to monitoring though in essence, what they were offering had long ago been required by President Rodrigo Duterte, and he reiterated this in last Monday’s State of the Nation Address (Sona).
If one were to recall, President Duterte required local governments to double, even triple their efforts in the war on crime and ordered the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to institute a score card of sorts in which the local government units (LGUs) will be evaluated on their campaign with a threat of suspension on local officials if they were found to be indifferent or complacent.
This didn’t seem to faze Mayor Osmeña who even challenged the DILG to sue him. But the Cebu City police rightfully didn’t have to concern themselves with little to no allowance, fewer vehicles and firearms so long as public support is on their side.
Cebu City’s, or any LGU for that matter, success or failure in the war against illegal drugs will eventually rely on the residents, who will have to be vigilant in monitoring and reporting illegal drug suspects and their activities.
This community-based approach is what the DILG is supposed to be taking from the Cebu provincial government, which adopted a more expansive campaign by involving civil society, national government agencies and a commission tasked to lead them all in a unified drive against illegal drugs.
This campaign called “Masa Masid” or People’s Watch will be launched next month and is supposed to be graced by President Duterte in Cebu.
It is supposed to be sourced from the best practices of LGUs in dealing with the drug menace, including Cebu province and the Cebu Archdiocese, which have their own grassroots rehabilitation program.
The president’s presence or that of his chosen representative may well be a seal of approval for Capitol’s chosen tack to deal with the illegal drug menace, which is far more holistic and long term than a cash bounty / reward system that, while prone to abuse, is more short term though immediate in effect.
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