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Wednesday, June 18, 2003
No bry. in Cebu City is drug-free: solon
By Garry A. Cabotaje
CEBU -- If Rep. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, south district) is to be believed, there are already nine million drug users in the country, a number that dwarfs the 3.4 million official figure of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Of this figure, Cuenco estimated that Cebu has 10 percent or almost one million “habitual and occasional” drug users. Cebu’s population was placed at 2.3 million as of 2000.
Cuenco said the House committee on dangerous drugs got the figure of nine million drug users not solely from PDEA, but also from “other unofficial but reliable government and private sources.”
In Cebu City, Cuenco, who quoted a report of PDEA 7 Director Robelito Comilang, said not a single barangay is considered drug-free.
All of Cebu City’s 80 barangays, both in the mountain and urban areas, have either a drug user or peddler present, he said.
“This is alarming and I could say that Cebu is the second worst in the drug problem. We are next to Manila,” Cuenco told Sun.Star Tuesday.
At the Capitol, Gov. Pablo Garcia is not at all optimistic that the problem will be stamped out anytime soon.
“As long as there are people who are willing to sell drugs for the lure and glitter of money, without considering the bad results of their business, this problem will continue,” said Garcia.
“It’s getting worse and it will take a lot of political will and a lot of resources,” he said.
Drug capital?
Earlier, Sen. Robert Barbers of the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs warned that the Philippines could become Asia’s drug capital in five years if the illegal drugs trade remains unchecked.
Barbers blamed the problem on policemen who are either on the take or sell drugs themselves, while Garcia said the issue is compounded by politicians who may be influenced by drug lords because of money.
“Lisud kaayo. We have one program after another, one operation after the other, pila na lang katuig,” said the governor.
Cuenco recalled that in 1987 to 1992, at least some of the barangays in Cebu City were still drug-free.
Like the PDEA report, Cuenco said half of the committee’s figure is described as “habitual” drug users and the other half as “occasional” drug users.
Connivance
Among others, Cuenco blamed the law enforcers’ connivance with drug lords as the reason for the rising drug problem in the country.
He lamented that the conviction rate is very low because some policemen would not appear during court hearings, resulting in the dismissal of drug cases.
Cuenco said the legislative department has already done its part by passing Republic Act 9165, the new anti-drugs law that sets stiff penalties against drugs users and peddlers.
But he said this law is useless if the law enforcement agencies are not doing their part.
“We should clean our house first. This drug problem would not go far unless we should clean our own backyard, because some of these policemen are coddlers of this illegal activity,” Cuenco said.
Yearly allocation
To sustain the fight against illegal drugs, Cuenco said he filed a bill last May calling for a continuing yearly allocation of P1 billion for the recruitment of personnel and drug programs of PDEA.
“I’m calling on the President that if she is serious in the fight against this drug menace, she should certify this bill as urgent,” Cuenco said.
Cuenco also urged the Department of Education to include in its curriculum a subject focusing on illegal drugs, at least to instill in the minds of the students the bad effects of illicit drugs.
The governor also urged all municipal and city governments in Cebu to strengthen their resolve and campaign against drugs.
The Provincial Government can help the Philippine National Police and PDEA only through meager financial assistance, as it does not have any personnel to augment the police force.
The Philippines’ being made up of several islands was also cited as a reason for the worsening drug problem, as shabu easily enters the country through seafaring vessels. With Jeanette P. Malinao/Sun.Star Cebu
(June 18, 2003 issue)
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