SINCE the start of the intensified campaign against illegal drugs, almost 8,000 drug users and pushers have surrendered to the authorities in the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.
Some police officers have been relieved for their alleged involvement in illegal drugs.
Supt. Jonathan Abella, deputy city director for administration of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), said they got a positive response from the residents who report to them illegal activities in their barangays.
“Nalipay sila kay daghan ang ni-avail sa LGU nga niduol magpatabang og rehab (Many drug pushers and users have offered themselves for rehabilitation),” Abella said.
In Mandaue, there were 4,561 drug surrenderers from July 1 to Dec. 21.
PO2 Dexter Pacayra of MCPO said they visited a total of 115,268 houses to inform residents about their campaign against prohibited drugs and encourage them to report illegal activities to the authorities.
MCPO also arrested 259 drug pushers and users in their operations in the 27 barangays of Mandaue as of Dec. 21.
Phone load
MCPO, led by Senior Supt. Roberto Alanas, the city police director, was the first to implement an Oplan Texthang. Anyone who reports to the MCPO that can lead to the arrest of the suspect will get a free cell phone load.
With the Oplan Texthang, Abella said, they got several text messages providing them with information about drug-related activities.
In the operations against illegal drugs, some suspects reportedly resisted arrest and tried to fire their guns at the police officers.
PO2 Abraham Igot of the MCPO Investigation and Detective Management Branch said there were 17 drug suspects who were killed during operation.
Killed
In Lapu-Lapu, seven drug personalities were killed in police operations.
Chief Insp. Junnel Caadlawon, head of operations in Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LCPO), said they arrested 360 drug personalities in the city from July 1 to Dec. 22.
LCPO personnel visited 79,229 houses in their Tokhang operations.
“We encourage the residents to report if they know someone doing illegal activities. We left the LCPO contact numbers in every house,” Caadlawon said in Cebuano.
Since the president intensified the campaign against prohibited drugs, some police officers have been tagged for their alleged involvement in the illegal trade.
Abella said they relieved four police officers after they were found positive of using illegal drugs.
Earlier, Senior Supt. Rommel Cabagnot, director of LCPO, said 23 members of LCPO who were reportedly involved in illegal drug activities were sent to the Police Regional Office 7 to undergo basic training. All of them are no longer assigned in Lapu-Lapu.
As to deaths under investigation (DUI), LCPO recorded 15 as of Dec. 22.
Caadlawon said the investigators had been looking for witnesses in the incidents. In Mandaue, DUIs reached to 26 as of Dec.27.