THE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) reported that a total of 1,708 personalities were arrested in the city for being involved in illegal drug activities since the re-launch of the second wave of “Oplan Double Barrel: Reloaded” in December 2017.
Police Captain Maria Teresita Gaspan, DCPO spokesperson, said there are still drug-related crimes in the city despite the government’s intensified anti-illegal drugs campaign.
“Naa gihapoy kursunada na musulud diri sa Davao (There are still people who are keen on smuggling drugs into the city),” Gaspan said during the AFP-PNP press forum at The Royal Mindanao Hotel Wednesday, July 24.
Based on the statistics provided by Gaspan, it showed that a total of 1,708 drug-related arrests were recorded from December 5, 2017 to July 23, 2019, in different police stations in Davao city.
Sta. Ana Police Station (PS) had 470 apprehensions followed by Bunawan PS (301), Talomo PS (215), Sasa PS (200), San Pedro PS (149), Buhangin PS (106), and Toril PS (104).
Other police stations only had less than 60 arrests. Gaspan added that there are still newly identified suspects included in the list.
“Mostly, dili taga diri (Davao City). Mga transient ra na sila. Siyempre, kaning mga newly identified is ang mga wala na tokhang sauna (They are mostly not from the city. Of course, the newly identified suspects are those who never experienced tokhang before),” Gaspan said.
She also said the arrests were done through search warrants and warrants of arrests.
Suspected users and pushers who surrendered during the Oplan Tokhang were enrolled in Davao City’s community-based rehabilitation and aftercare program (CBRAP). Despite the program, she said there are still those who go back to using and pushing drugs.
Gaspan added DCPO will continue to monitor drug-related crimes as the Kadayawan Festival gets closer.
“Ang Davao City Police Office padayon sa pagserbisyo for the interest of public’s safety and security (The Davao City Police Office continues its service towards the public’s safety and security),” she said. (Kurt Ivan Bue and Gloria Andrea U. Mendoza/JCR)