Governor seeking honest assessment of illegal drugs situation in Bohol
Published Feb 29, 2020 12:00 am
By Minerva Newman
TAGBILARAN CITY—Bohol governor Arthur Yap is seeking an honest and faithful assessment and evaluation of the anti-illegal drugs campaign in the province down to the barangay level.
Former Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary and Bohol Governor Arthur Yap (MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
“Are we getting better or worse? Are we getting stronger or weaker in our campaign?” Yap asked the law enforcers during the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PDAC) meeting Thursday.
According to Maj. Norman Nuez of the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO), Bohol was “better off” now with little amount of confiscation than previous years when the recovery of drugs was far greater.
Nuez, who represented Philippine National Police (PNP) Provincial Commander Col. Jonathan Cabal at the PDAC meeting, said that small amount of drugs being confiscated in anti-illegal drugs operations meant that supply in the streets has drastically been reduced.
Nuez went on that while it used to be normal that 50 grams of shabu would be seized in operations in the past, the police could hardly net five grams in buy-bust operations nowadays.
The Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Bohol representative Joseph Theodore Atila confirmed police observations, and added that the number of drug arrests has gone down compared to previous data.
Atila told the governor that PDEA has been working harmoniously with the PNP and said that tighter coordination among law enforcers was necessary in tracking down drug transactions and identities involved.
But they also admitted that drug elements have used multiple ways, including online or electronic services in their deals and payments.
PNP and PDEA officials assured the governor that their evaluation was a mirror image of the general situation, but the governor wants to see the clearest whole picture which areas are strong and should be sustained and which areas are weak for strengthening.
11 towns with “no barangays declared as drug-free”
Based on the PADAC record submitted to the council during its January 2020 meeting that there were still 11 of Bohol’s 47 towns with no barangays declared as drug-free. These towns include Bien Unido, Carmen, Corella, Cortes, Inabanga, Loay, Mabini, Panglao, Sagbayan, San Miguel and Ubay.
Five towns belong to the Second District---Bien Unido, Inabanga, Sagbayan, San Miguel, Ubay; three belong to the Third District---Carmen, Loay, Mabini; and three towns belong to the First District---Corella, Cortes, Panglao.
Inabanga ang Ubay have the greatest number of barangays at 50 and 44, respectively, and not one of them is drug-free while seven other towns have over 90 percent of their barangays have been declared drug-cleared that include Calape, Jagna, Lila, Pilar, San Isidro, Trinidad and Valencia, PADAC records showed.
There have been 396 barangays that have been declared drug-free out of Bohol’s 1,109 barangays, Atila added.
Former Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary and Bohol Governor Arthur Yap (MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
“Are we getting better or worse? Are we getting stronger or weaker in our campaign?” Yap asked the law enforcers during the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PDAC) meeting Thursday.
According to Maj. Norman Nuez of the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO), Bohol was “better off” now with little amount of confiscation than previous years when the recovery of drugs was far greater.
Nuez, who represented Philippine National Police (PNP) Provincial Commander Col. Jonathan Cabal at the PDAC meeting, said that small amount of drugs being confiscated in anti-illegal drugs operations meant that supply in the streets has drastically been reduced.
Nuez went on that while it used to be normal that 50 grams of shabu would be seized in operations in the past, the police could hardly net five grams in buy-bust operations nowadays.
The Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Bohol representative Joseph Theodore Atila confirmed police observations, and added that the number of drug arrests has gone down compared to previous data.
Atila told the governor that PDEA has been working harmoniously with the PNP and said that tighter coordination among law enforcers was necessary in tracking down drug transactions and identities involved.
But they also admitted that drug elements have used multiple ways, including online or electronic services in their deals and payments.
PNP and PDEA officials assured the governor that their evaluation was a mirror image of the general situation, but the governor wants to see the clearest whole picture which areas are strong and should be sustained and which areas are weak for strengthening.
11 towns with “no barangays declared as drug-free”
Based on the PADAC record submitted to the council during its January 2020 meeting that there were still 11 of Bohol’s 47 towns with no barangays declared as drug-free. These towns include Bien Unido, Carmen, Corella, Cortes, Inabanga, Loay, Mabini, Panglao, Sagbayan, San Miguel and Ubay.
Five towns belong to the Second District---Bien Unido, Inabanga, Sagbayan, San Miguel, Ubay; three belong to the Third District---Carmen, Loay, Mabini; and three towns belong to the First District---Corella, Cortes, Panglao.
Inabanga ang Ubay have the greatest number of barangays at 50 and 44, respectively, and not one of them is drug-free while seven other towns have over 90 percent of their barangays have been declared drug-cleared that include Calape, Jagna, Lila, Pilar, San Isidro, Trinidad and Valencia, PADAC records showed.
There have been 396 barangays that have been declared drug-free out of Bohol’s 1,109 barangays, Atila added.