EIGHT policemen each received P10,000 from the City Government of Naga, Cebu yesterday for the arrest of a drug pusher.
They are SPO1 Alex Nable; PO3s Francisco Codiñera, Julito Navales and Gilmer Noval; and PO1s Wilfredo Pada, Raymund Ramiez, Ramil Porcia and Glenn Conahap.
They caught Noli Cañete, 44, allegedly selling shabu during a buy-bust in Barangay Tanke last May.
Found in Cañete’s possession were 12 plastic packs containing shabu, an improvised shotgun with 16 live bullets and various drug paraphernalia.
Cañete has been charged in court.
Mayor Valdemar Chiong told reporters he was fulfilling his promise to police that he would reward them for every drug pusher or user arrested in the city.
The police will get P10,000 if the suspect arrested is a drug pusher, and P5,000 if the suspect arrested is a drug user.
Job hazard
“Para ni pag-motivate, muhatag og kakogi nga ilang sigihan og fight ang drug problem sa siyudad (This is to motivate them to work harder in the fight against illegal drugs),” Chiong said.
The mayor hopes police will go after bigger syndicates.
Supt. Brindo Nacario, the city’s police chief, said they’ve been arresting one or two illegal drug personalities per week since assuming his post four months ago.
Nacario said they’re on target with the Cebu Provincial Police Office’s campaign against illegal drugs.
Following the murder of a police chief in Bohol for his war against illegal drugs, Nacario said this comes with the job.
“Sa tinud-anay naa gyud ang kahadlok pirme. Pero mao na gyud ni ang among trabaho (The fear is always there. But that comes with the territory),” he said.
Despite such hazards, Nacario said he and his men will continue to go after illegal
drug personalities in the city.
In another development, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama wants to fire any police officer proven to be involved in spreading illegal drugs in the city.
“Dismiss them if reports of their involvement in the illegal drugs trade are true),” Rama said in Cebuano.
Public cooperation
During the recent Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC) meeting, several barangay captains accused 20 policemen from the Talamban Police Station of receiving protection money from drug personalities.
They also accused the station of not conducting drug operations in its area of responsibility.
This was denied by Senior Insp. Bienvenido Miral, Talamban Police Station chief.
The City Intelligence Branch of the Cebu City Police Office had received the same report but they still have to verify it.
In the fight against illegal drugs, Rama asked barangays, the church and the academe to work together to stop it.
“We can’t do this alone, we need the help and cooperation of the public,” Rama told reporters.