Tacloban police enforce Oplan Taphang

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – From Oplan Tokhang, the Tacloban City Police Office (TCPO) moved into the other component of Oplan Double Barrel, which is “Oplan Tapok Hangyo” or Taphang.

Senior Superintendent Rolando Bade, director of the TCPO, said his forces already visited more than 20 commercial establishments recently to conduct dialogue on Taphang.

Taphang is a modified Tokhang, which according to PNP Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa was also done in Davao alongside Tokhang, in the local government’s war on drugs.

Taphang, which means tapok (gather) and hangyo (request), is now being implemented across the country, as an alternative to Tokhang especially among higher strata of society, such as business entities and local artists and elite groups.

At the national level, all those in the watchlist of President Rodrigo Durterte belonging to respected sectors such as actors and actresses are being gathered and altogether requested to stop using and pushing illegal drugs, as these are inimical to the health and lives especially of the youth.

In Tacloban City, the TCPO’s Police-Community Relations Office, led by Senior Inspector Jessica Ortega, together with Police Officer 2 Ramon Saroca Jr., did the Taphang’s actual dialogue, under the direct supervision of Bade.

“In consonance with the current anti-illegal drugs campaign of the PNP, Project Double Barrel Alpha, the TCPO through its united efforts began conducting anti-drug dialogues with the general public in order to ensure the reduction of demand for illegal drugs,” Ortega said.

Ortega further said: “Our speakers who are also members of this Office speaker’s bureau solicits cooperation and trust in the community wherein they are persuaded to convince their relatives who are involved in illegal drugs to surrender before this Office in order to avail government programs which would help them in their recovery.”

Bade reiterated TCPO’s strong denial of any involvement in extra judicial killings which is the hot issue today inimical to the PNP’s lawful implementation of the law.

“Again this Office stresses that TCPO does not condone extrajudicial killings utilized by its personnel as it is unlawful and deeply violates our present constitution,” Bade stated.

TCPO continuously uphold and adhere to the provision in Article III Bill of Rights, Section I which states, ‘No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law nor shall be denied equal protection of the laws,’ according to an official statement the office recently released.

In an earlier interview with Ortega, she said that in the drug buy-bust operations of the TCPO, the operatives try their best not to resort to the killing of suspects being arrested as they still respect their right to life.