PRO-7 to intensify campaign against illegal drugs

Police Brigadier General Valeriano De Leon, director of Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) conduct final inspection around Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) a few hoyrs before the arrival of President Rodrigo Duterte. CDN Digital Photo | Alven Marie A. Timtim

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) vowed to continue to intensify its campaign against illegal drugs following the statement of President Rodrigo Duterte that illegal drugs still proliferate in Cebu.

Duterte, in his speech in front a crowd watching the Sinulog 2020 Grand Ritual Showdown on Sunday, January 19, 2020, at the Cebu City Sports Center, said the problem on illegal drugs in Cebu has gone as far as police officials being involved in the narcotics trade.

Police Brigadier General Valeriano de Leon, director of PRO-7, said they are working hard to combat this problem.

“Pinagsisikapan naming lahat,” said De Leon.

READ: Duterte accuses some cop officials in Cebu of having links to drugs

Duterte specially mentioned Talisay City as one of the places overrun by illegal drugs.

According to De Leon, Duterte’s statement was true and said they could not deny such as it is a fact.

However, De Leon said that despite the rampant illegal drugs situation in Cebu, the policemen continue to work hard to help eradicate the problem in terms of distribution.

De Leon assured that the PRO-7 police force will take actions on how they will be able to improve their operations and strategies to get rid of the illegal drugs that are destroying live of hundreds of Filipinos as per the instructions of the president.

The President particularly singled out Talisay City, whom he described as being “wa’y pahuway” or restless in term of illegal activities including drugs.

Read: Samsam accepts President Duterte’s statements as a ‘challenge’

On the other hand, De Leon said that those policemen who were killed, as mentioned by Duterte, maybe involved in the illegal drugs and had issues within other illegal drug group that lead to their killings.

But De Leon said that it could also be possible that these policemen were killed because they were being hunted by the enemies they made while working to eradicate illegal drugs.

Nonetheless, De Leon said they would also have to continue to work hard in solving the killings that is happening in the region. /bmjo