ALL anti-drugs units and operations of the Central Visayas Police Regional Office (PRO) are dissolved, effective immediately.
PRO Director Noli Taliño said they will now focus on anti-criminality efforts.
"The police will not operate in anything related to drugs. Anti-drugs units are already dismantled," Taliño told SunStar Cebu.
Oplan Tokhang, Oplan Double Barrel, including buy-busts, serving of warrants for drug-related cases and any operation related to drugs, will be halted.
Personnel from the Provincial, City and Station Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group will be re-assigned to intelligence units and beat patrols.
Taliño said they are following the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte and PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa to conduct an internal cleansing of their ranks after the death of a South Korean businessman, who was allegedly the victim of a "tokhang for ransom."
He said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) will now be on the forefront in the war against drugs. It can tap the Armed Forces of the Philippines for its anti-illegal drugs operations, he said.
Taliño said dela Rosa did not say when the dissolution of their anti-drugs operations will last.
Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Joel Doria said that all their work regarding their anti-drug operations will be forwarded to the PDEA and other concerned agencies.
The announcement came after the CCPO confiscated the biggest drug hail in Central Visayas, which amounted to P118 million.
For his part, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said the recent development will affect the anti-illegal drug operations in the city.
“CCPO did well under Doria. I don't understand. PDEA has only some 30 people for Region 7 (Central Visayas),” he told SunStar Cebu in a text message.
PDEA-Central Visayas Director Yogi Filemon Ruiz, for his part, said it will be a challenge to lead the drug war.
He also welcomed dela Rosa's move to clean police ranks.
The official hopes the police can recommend officers who are “of very high integrity” to make up new anti-narcotics units.
Ruiz said they received a memorandum from PDEA Director General Isidro Lapeñas, who instructed his personnel to focus on high-value targets (HVTs).
He said they have arrested 30 percent of the HVTs on their list.