Wednesday, January 23, 2008 North Cotabato to 'overhaul' anti-drug personnel By Ben O. Tesiorna
THE Provincial Government of North Cotabato is hell bent on eradicating the drug menace in the province by 2010 and to prove its determination, it will be doing a major revamp in personnel involved in the anti-drug campaign.
Provincial anti-drug czar and Vice Governor Emmanuel Piñol recommended the move to Governor Jesus Sacdalan during the province's assessment and review of their anti-drug campaign held in Kidapawan City Monday.
The former governor said they want to start with a clean slate and sees the need for new members with impeccable records.
Piñol, however, clarified that he is not imputing anomaly against members of the anti-drug units in the province. He said he has been receiving reports that some might be in collusion with drug dealers.
Piñol said other anti-drug personnel were also reported to be mulcting money from drug suspects and their relatives in exchange for the arresting officer's "non-appearance" in court.
It was learned that most of the reasons why drug cases were dismissed in courts are because of the "non-appearance" of witnesses including the arresting officers. Piñol said 80 percent of the cases in North Cotabato are drug-related and out of the 80 percent, 48 percent were dismissed for various reasons that could be blamed for the lack of skill and non-cooperation of the arresting officers.
Aside from the revamp, Piñol also recommended for a mandatory drug test among members of the police in the province. He said he would ask next government officials and employees all throughout the province.
"Everybody must come clean. Di ko sinasabing may ginagawa kayong masama (I'm not saying you're doing something wrong), but if we are to start this campaign we should start with a clean slate," Piñol said.
Task force
Piñol said the province would be creating an "anti-drug task force" that will do the "dirty work" in running after drug lords.
He said the task force, which will be under him as the appointed anti-drug czar, would concentrate on the identification, arrest, and prosecution of drug lords in the province and nearby areas.
Piñol said they would go straight for the kill, meaning going straight to the root of drug menace -- the drug lords.
In Monday's presentation by the North Cotabato Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), it identified several major drug personalities responsible for the proliferation of illegal drugs in the province and the region.
Piñol then asked PDEA why the drug lords are still doing their illegal activities and why they were never arrested when they have already been identified.
"Why are they still alive?" asked Piñol, smiling.
When asked if his task force will be patterned after the infamous and shadowy vigilante group known as the Davao Death Squad, Piñol said his group will observe "due process" in all its operations.
Not alarming
Although the drug problem in North Cotabato is not as alarming as the situation in nearby provinces and regions, Piñol said they are not taking any chances.
He said he does not want a Colombia to happen in North Cotabato where everything is run by drug money. Piñol added that their strengthened anti-drug campaign will also be benefiting not just their province but also other areas, especially Davao City.
The drugs reportedly come from Cotabato City and brought to Kidapawan City then to Isulan to Tacurong to Koronadal, General Santos City and Davao City.
He said if they are able to stop shipment of illegal drugs in North Cotabato then no drugs will ever reach Davao City anymore.
Governor Sacdalan said he will seriously consider Piñol's recommendations, adding that he will support the anti-drug campaign all the way just to ensure that the province becomes 100 percent drug-free by 2010.
As proof, Sacdalan said he already allotted an initial P3 million budget so the anti-drug task force could start its mission.
He believes the reports he received from authorities regarding the drug problem are just the "tip of the iceberg" and that a problem is brewing underneath that is ready to explode anytime if they don't act on it in time.
