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Wednesday, July 09, 2003
Caraga cop chiefs test negative for drug use
By Louie B. Oranda
BUTUAN -- Top police officials at the Caraga Regional Police Office headed by Caraga Regional Police Director Alberto Olario tested negative for drug use.
But four Butuan police officers tested positive for drugs.
PNP-13 spokesperson Insp. Nelly Villagracia said Superintendent Olario ordered all top PNP-13 officials to undergo mandatory drug tests last wek.
He said a "confirmatory drug test" was conducted anew just to make sure but not one of the officials tested positive. In contrast tests on five police non-commissioned officers (PNCO) indicated drug use.
Villagracia said the drug tests on officials were being done intensively in line with its anti-drug campaigns within the areas.
Random tests wer also done on the PNCOs to verify reports that they use drugs. Earlier Olario ordered the summary dismissal of five police officers shown to have used drugs.
Villagracia said one of the police officers served for 20 years. He said if they were proven positive for drugs all of them won't receive one centavo of their benefits from the government.
The PNP-13 spokesperson then urged the public to help them identify police officers using or giving protection to drug syndicates.
Villagracia advised residents to report to them through telephone or text through PNP Text 2920 the identities of the suspects.
He said all information would be treated as confidential and rewards would be given.
Meanwhile the chief of the Northern Police Precinct (NPP) here said they are having quite a problem dealing with the peddling of shabu and crime in their area.
NPP chief Sen. Insp. Restituto Lacano said Barangay Ong Yiu remained at the top of their list of drug hotspots.
One Muslim leader who requested anonymity said within the barangay especially in Puroks 7, 2, 5 and 11 the pushers sold drugs like vendors selling spices.
An intelligence unit supposedly said the barangay has been the drop point for shabu and marijuana sourced from Lanao and the cities of Ozamis and Cebu.
The NPP also said there are some drug syndicates that are
active in that area.
Lacano declined to name names but said they have arrested so-called "hoodlums in uniforms" or police officers involved in drug dealing.
Lando Apit, president of the Butuan City Hall Press Corps and Information Officer of the mayor's office said drugs is not the only problem faced by the NPP. Apit said the NPP also deals with murder, robberies and violence in their area.
He said many of these cases remain unsolved, causing city officials to be dismayed and dissatisfied with the NPP's performance.
(July 9, 2003 issue)
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