Mayor wants CCPO, PDEA teamwork

CEBU, Philippines —  To ensure a well-coordinated anti-drug operation and prevent misencounter, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has asked the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) to maintain an inter-agency cooperation.

“We don’t want the recent ‘misencounter’ between the police and PDEA agents in Quezon City to happen in our city,” Labella posted to his official Facebook page.

“I trust that our CCPO and PDEA-7 have maintained proper coordination aron pagseguro sa luwas ug malinawon nga mga operasyon batok sa illegal nga drugas dinhi sa atong siyudad,” he added.

Labella sent a formal letter request to CCPO Director Josefino Ligan and PDEA-7 Director Levi Ortiz on March 1, 2021. In his letter, the mayor told both agencies that the “misencounter” should be a reminder of the importance of inter-agency coordination in all their operations.

He also requested them to regularly furnish his office a copy of their report every after anti-drug operation.

To recall, personnel of the PDEA and the Philippine National Police clashed outside the Ever Gotesco Mall along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City Wednesday last week resulting in four deaths. Both the police and the PDEA claimed to have conducted a legitimate operation.—  FPL (FREEMAN)