IN ITS ongoing information education campaign, the Police Community Relations (PCR) division of the Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PRO-COR) continues to monitor and assist drug surrenderers affected by the illegal drug trade since the government’s crackdown started in 2016.

Police Colonel Dave Limmong, PCR chief, said a chunk of their program deals with informing the public on the ill effects of illegal drugs.

“That is a big part of our information education campaign on illegal drugs because it is a national program. We did not expect that around 11,000 persons were affected by illegal drugs since 2016 to the present here in the Cordillera region,” Limmong said.

For the first half of 2019, 150 cases have been filed against 179 drug personalities in the region by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Cordillera for various violations related to illegal drugs operation in the region.

Edgar Apalla, PDEA–Cordillera director, in his report during the recent Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Council (RLECC) meeting, said of the 170 drug personalities arrested, 30 were considered as high-value targets (HVT) and are now facing criminal cases in court.

“In our campaign, we try to help them through the recovery and wellness program with help and support from other sectors like various government line agencies and non-government organizations with end result of rehabilitating them,” Limmong stated.

Last month, P5.7 million worth of marijuana plants and seedlings were destroyed and burned in Barangay Butbut Proper, Tinglayan, Kalinga during the implementation of Oplan Green Pearl Bravo.

“Here in the Cordillera, we observed a big decrease in the number of users of illegal drugs. In fact, our region has the least number of drug surrenderers, users and pushers however, what we are monitoring now is the resurgence of marijuana plantation in the region which cannot be addressed by enforcement only, it needs a whole of nation approach on how we can help the people in those remote areas for them not to plant marijuana but other legal plantation as an alternative,” Limmong added.