Condos, call centers next drug war targets

MANILA, Philippines - Aside from nightclubs and bars, authorities are setting their sights on condominium dwellers and call center agents in Metro Manila in the next phase of the war on drugs.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Chief Supt. Oscar Albayalde said they are investigating reports that drug pushers are using condominium dwellers and call center agents in their illegal transactions.

Albayalde noted that the two groups could evade police detection because many call center agents work at night while condominiums are usually well secured against unwanted visitors.

“I’ve ordered the five district directors to step up the implementation of Oplan Tokhang and Project Double Barrel in condominium units, business process outsourcing (BPO) offices in Metro Manila,” Albayalde said.

He ordered the five police district directors in Metro Manila to coordinate their inspections with condominium administrators and homeowners’ associations to prevent complaints and misunderstandings.

The 30 station commanders and chiefs of police are also tasked to coordinate with local officials in the inspection of condominium units, BPO offices and gated villages.

The NCRPO has been working with operators of high-end bars and nightclubs in going after pushers, particularly of party drugs such as Ecstasy.

Sixteen police personnel are monitoring the high-end bars and entertainment centers at the BGC. Albayalde said not a single drug-related incident has been recorded in the area so far.

He said the bar owners have thanked the police for the heightened security against drug deals.

“The bar owners say their business is brisk these days because clients are staying a bit longer in their establishments as they feel safe with the presence of policemen,” Albayalde said.

He said he was told that in the past, bar clients high on drugs lingered in the establishments for hours but consumed only a soft drink or a bottle of water while listening to music.

From July 1 to Sept. 1, the NCRPO has killed 294 suspected drug pushers and arrested 3,891 others. A total of 41,819 self-confessed drug offenders surrendered during the same period.

Albayalde stressed the impact of Oplan Tokhang and Project Double Barrel in reducing the supply of drugs and the large number of those who surrendered.

He said expanding the anti-drug operations to condominium units, BPO offices and exclusive villages would significantly contribute to the cleansing of illegal drug personalities in Metro Manila.

PDEA chief wants death penalty for drug offenses

In a related development, Isidro Lapeña, the chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), believes the restoration of the death penalty would curb the illegal drug trade in the country.

Lape?a pushed for the imposition of capital punishment for all drug offenders.

The PDEA chief said he is not promoting a culture of violence in the implementation of the death penalty.

“It is morally justified (to impose) a death sentence on people who seek to destroy the lives of our people – the Filipino youth in general. This is our obligation for the sake of our future generations,” he said.

Drug traffickers should be given harsher penalties to “send a strong signal” that the country will not be a business hub for illegal drugs, Lape?a said. – With Romina Cabrera