Bets urged: Spare drug surrenderers from politicking

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (COSAP) Chief Garry Lao has appealed to the barangay officials and tanods to spare the office’s programs and the drug surrenderers from “politicking.”

Lao made the call after receiving complaints from families of drug surrenderers, who were reportedly asked to give a list of their family members to the barangays.

"I am appealing to them to spare the programs and activities of our office and our surrenderers from whatever political events,” he told The FREEMAN.

Two drug surrenderers, who are currently working as job order personnel at City Hall, said their wives were also asked by the police to submit their drug test results to the station.

While they do not know the intention of the police who asked for the drug test results, they said they asked their immediate superior on what to do.

The head of the department where the surrenderers are assigned advised them to go to Lao’s office yesterday.

Lao asked the two drug surrenderers to undergo a drug test and to submit the results to the police.

Lao told the drug surrenderees not to worry with home visitations of the police since it is part of the city’s community-based drug rehabilitation program. — KBQ (FREEMAN)