SENIOR Superintendent Francisco Ebreo, officer-in-charge of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), said Friday he will meet with the village chief of Barangay Banago next week following the latter’s request “to seal off” the village’s Sitio Sibucao.
Ebreo said village officials, in a resolution, are requesting the police to seal off the said area after claiming the community in the village and some of the relatives of Bacolod top drug suspect Ramy Poja are protecting him.
He said the resolution from the village also stated that they want the BCPO to establish a Community Police Assistance Center (Compac) to limit the entry of illegal drugs and new players engaging in the illegal drug trade.
He said the resolution is very broad and generic.
“We do not want to put it that way literally because there are procedures and guidelines to be followed for that matter,” he added.
Ebreo said the police are already establishing measures to minimize the drug menace in the city, through “Oplan Galugad” and “Bulabog,” wherein policemen are conducting visibility patrol in villages and streets.
The police official said he was informed about the alleged “community protection” of Poja but he assured that all law enforcement units in Western Visayas are chasing Poja for his immediate arrest.
On February 25, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)–Negros Occidental served arrest warrants for murder and illegal drugs against Poja in the said village, however, he managed to evade arrest.
Ebreo assured the public they are continuously monitoring Poja’s whereabouts.
He said they received information about new players in the city who are engaging in the illegal drug trade, however, he stressed this is still subject to validation.
Ebreo also said that barangays 4, 41, and 25 are declared cleared from illegal drugs after a thorough evaluation of the PDEA and other coordinating-agencies.
The police chief said there has been no seriously drug-affected barangay in Bacolod City. (GYM)