To end the drug trade in Cebu City: CCPO to focus on finding the source

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is now focusing on finding the source of illegal drugs in Cebu City after President Rodrigo Duterte enforced the matter of cleansing the nation from all forms of illegal drugs during his second State of the Nation Address last Monday.

CCPO Director Senior Superintendent Joel Doria emphasized that while they are already employing the best practices against all forms of illegal drugs, they are now focused on pinpointing the source of these drugs.

Based on their initial intelligence reports, most of the drugs arriving in mainland Cebu come from other provinces. Since Cebu is strategically located in the center, the supply of drugs is transshipped from nearby provinces, including from correctional facilities.

“We are trying to locate kung saan yung source at kung titingnan kasi natin maraming access dito sa Cebu City, by land and by sea, kasi marami tayong ports, maraming means of transportation,” Doria said.

Doria also stressed positive developments during intensified anti-illegal drug operations, since the latest 'One Time Big Time' operation resulted to the arrest of small-time drug players only.

He said he considers this as an improvement compared to the first few months of the drug war where even just a single operation yielded millions worth of illegal drugs and big-time illegal drug players were arrested.

 “Successful na man ang kampanya natin, makikita natin maliliit na lang yung nahuhuli natin. Karamihan sa mga nakukuha ay mga new players na at saka known drug personalities wala na sa area,” Doria said.

Doria also emphasized that despite the constant arrests of high-value targets and other newly-identified drug players, they are still pursuing a lot of reports on new personalities involved in illegal-drugs.

This can be attributed to the number of people who recently become interested in selling or distributing illegal-drugs because of the promise of fast money, particularly for those desperate to survive on a daily basis.

Moreover, Doria said that they are also improving intelligence gathering in the community especially when it involves barangay elected officials involved in illegal drugs.

“Ang atin kasi ay intensified ang campaign natin, but we are, very careful when it comes to involving politics, kasi we have to develop concrete evidence. We don’t have to name names, kung wala naman tayong hawak na matibay na ebidensya,” Doria said.

Though, he added, barangay officials had been cooperative since the drug war began.

“We engage barangay officials. When we ask barangay officials to certify, they certify naman, cooperative sila,” Doria said. (FREEMAN)