For authorities in Taguig City, the frequent arrests they have been making against drug suspects show how serious they are in ridding the city of illegal drugs, its peddlers and its abusers.

The Manila Bulletin gathered that this month alone, local anti-narcotics cops have captured 10 drug suspects in successive operations, including six “pushers” that are considered notorious and whose names appear on the police watch list.

The latest arrests brought to 93 the total of drug offenders that have fallen in the hands of the police since October 2008 when Senior Supt. Camilo Cascolan became the city’s police chief.

All 93 have been charged before the Taguig City prosecutor’s office, said Senior Insp. Jerry Amindalan, head of the Station Anti-illegal Drugs-Special Operation Task Group (SAID-SOTG).

Among the latest suspected pushers to fall were Valentino dela Cruz, 49, and Jenison Geronimo, alias “Apiok”, 33. Both were nabbed in a buy-bust Wednesday night near the duo’s home along M.L. Quezon Street in Lower Bicutan.

This month also saw the capture of alleged drug peddler Anthony Gellie, 30, alias “Anton” and “Boy Silver.” According to Cascolan, Gellie circumvents the law by using children to procure shabu from his suppliers.

Police pounced on one of Gellie’s alleged suppliers, Joel Velasco alias “Taliban”, 32, of DoTC Compound, Purok 1A, Lower Bicutan, in a follow-up operation.

The city government reinvigorated in its anti-drug campaign following the arrest of alleged drug “pusher” Joel Tiñga last June, which ironically put Taguig in a bad light. The suspect claimed to be a relative of the city mayor, Freddie Tiñga.

The mayor, for his part, instructed police to carry on with the campaign against drug suspects “regardless of any relations” to his family.

Cascolan has credited part of their success to the staunch support given by the mayor to their anti-drug drive.