Gov, Vice Gov join Operation Tokhang in Cordova town

Governor Hilario Davide III and Vice Governor Agnes Magpale joined Operation Tokhang in Barangay Poblacion, Cordova, and campaigned against illegal drugs and cyberpornography. They were joined by the provincial police and Cordova Mayor Tetche Sitoy-Cho.
CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON

What would have been a normal Thursday morning for most started out differently for the residents of Barangay Poblacion in the northern town of Cordova.

Just as the morning started, the two highest officials of the province, together with the head of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), trooped to the streets of Cordova town to conduct a Tokhang operation.

This was the first Tokhang operation that was led by elected officials and the police.

Governor Hilario Davide III, Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, CPPO Director Sr. Supt. Eric Noble and Cordova Mayor Tetche Sitoy-Cho accompanied the police force as they convinced the residents to give up on drugs and to report any cyberpornography activities.

As they made their way towards the residential areas from their assembly point at the municipal hall, people — adults and children alike — swarmed to the group like moths attracted to light.

Davide was the first to speak, urging the people not to get involved in illegal drugs or give it up if they have already dabbled in it.

Magpale followed, urging everyone to report any cyberpornography activities that come to their knowledge and calling on them not to get involved in it, pointing out that it is the children victims’ future that suffers.

Accompanying the group was 19-year-old Policher Cosquejo, the son of a drug surrenderer who availed of the provincial government’s Ang Paglaum scholarship program to continue his tertiary education.

He shared his story of how he had to stop his studies because his family could no longer afford to send him to school until he availed of the educational grant. He is now taking up education to pursue his dream of becoming a teacher.

While some may see a negative implication for a town to be chosen as the first venue of the amped-up Tokhang, Sitoy-Cho said that she does not find anything wrong with it.

She said the problem on drugs and cyberpornography is a reality that is not peculiar to her town alone and as such, should faced and addressed.

“No, it’s not (negative),” she said. “It’s a big help. We all know nga naa man gyud ni nga problema. Why would I take it negatively? Even cyberpornography and we are with them, we are also acting on it. So mas maayo na hinuon nga mi-anhi gyud si governor ug si vice governor unya gi-una pa gyud mi.”

During the “pulong-pulong,” attended by surrenderers, held after the Tokhang operation, Noble called on those involved in drugs to surrender and not let drugs control their lives.

“Yung mga nag-surrender natin, welcome,” he said. “Ang kailangan lang diyan, i-surrender natin ang sarili natin. Huwag tayong magpa-control diyan sa salot na droga. Yung nag-surrender naman, hindi kayo considered na criminal. Undang na at titingnan na lang natin ang future para sa ating mga anak.”

(To the surrenderers, welcome. What we need is to surrender ourselves and not let ourselves be controlled by drugs. To the surrenderers, you are not considered criminals. Let us stop drugs and look forward to the future for our children.)

Magpale, on the other hand, highlighted the plight of children victims of cyberpornography and implored the public to consider their future before subjecting them to such harrowing experience.

“Kaning kabahin sa cyberpornography, ang mga bata sad nga biktima, wa gyuy kaugmaon,” she said.

“Mu-ingon ra ba ang ubang ginikanan nga litrato ra man na pero di gyud na tinuod. Ang trauma sa bata naa. Nasayod mi nga duna’y salapi dinha pero makatabang pud mi ninyo labi na sa mga kababayinhan. Duna mi livelihood training program aron ta makakita ug salapi.”

(The thing about pornography is that the child victims have no future. Some parents would say that it’s only pictures, but that is not true. The trauma will stay with the child. We know that there is money in that business but we can help you, especially the women, when it comes to livelihood programs to earn a decent living.)

Davide, on the other hand, called on the surrenderers to persevere and continue with the community-based rehabilitation program of their town so as not to fall back to the evils of illegal drugs.

“Padayona lang gyud,” he said. “Para ni sa inyong kaayohan gyud ang kaning mga programa sa community-based program nato para sa mga surrenderers.”

(Continue with the program as these community-based programs for surrenderers are for your own good.)

Reflecting on his Tokhang experience, Davide said he was happy to have personally seen how it was to convince people to surrender and urge them to support the government’s anti-drug campaign.

“Nalipay ta nga naipadangat nato sa kadtong mga gi-Tokhang nato kung unsa gyu’y gusto nato mahitabo,” he said.

(I am happy to be able to tell the people what we really want during the Tokhang.)