THE relentless operations against illegal drugs despite the death threats they received earned the Liloan Police Station (LPS) the recognition as the best performing municipal police station in Cebu.
The Cebu Provincial Government yesterday recognized the top performing local government units that implemented the “Just Say No” program of the Province in the fight against illegal drugs.
The awarding ceremony served as the culminating activity of the Province’s Drug Awareness and Prevention Week celebration.
Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III and Undersecretary Edgar Galvante, permanent board member of the Dangerous Drugs Board, led the distribution of plaques, trophies and cash prizes to the winners.
The town of Liloan and Danao City received four major awards.
A trophy and P200,000 cash were given to the awardees for each category.
Danao City Police Station was named as the best performing city police station, while the Danao Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ADAC) was declared the best performing city ADAC.
Aside from the best performing police station, the Liloan ADAC also received the best performing municipal ADAC.
Senior Insp. Ramil Morpos, LPS chief, attributed the awards to the support of his men, the community and the municipal officials.
“The demand of illegal drugs continues to reduce as a result of our intensified campaign especially with information and education campaign together with the local government unit,” Morpos said in Cebuano.
Since January this year, LPS conducted more than 60 drug operations that resulted to the arrest of about 100 drug users and pushers, and the confiscation of P3 million worth of illegal drugs.
“Drug pushers are becoming bolder nowadays. We even received death threats but we cannot avoid that. Such thing really happens,” Morpos added.
Liloan Mayor Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco said while they are the top performing LGU in the fight against prohibited drugs, there are still things to be improved.
“I would say there are still cases (of illegal drugs) despite the fact that we have arrested a lot of drug personalities. Our goal is just really try to minimize the drug selling within the town and also prevention. As what I’ve mentioned earlier there are still a lot of things for improvement. And it’s not the thing that can happen overnight, over a month or even over a year especially with a growing municipality,” Frasco said.
Of the 49 LGUs evaluated for the Just Say No program, 44 were rated below average, while five were satisfactory, according to the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation’s evaluation.
None of the LGUs ranked as outstanding, excellent and very good.
Davide hopes that police stations and municipalities will be motivated to strive harder.
He pointed out the importance of community involvement in the fight against illegal drugs.
The Capitol also gave plaques to top performing barangay anti-drug abuse councils.
The other municipal police stations awarded were (in ascending order from second to 10th place) Tuburan, Balamban, Consolacion, Dalaguete, Boljoon, Tabogon, San Remigio, Compostela and Aloguinsan.
For the city police stations, the other winners were Bogo, Naga, Carcar and Talisay.
For the best performing municipal ADACs, other winners were Consolacion, Tuburan, Ginatilan, Oslob, Samboan, Barili, San Remigio, Balamban and Boljoon.
The top performing city ADACs were Naga, Carcar, Bogo and Talisay.
A plaque and P100,000 cash were also given to the Cebu Provincial Police Office as a special award.
Meanwhile, six persons were arrested in separate anti-illegal drug operations in the towns of Pinamungajan, Tuburan and Badian, and in the cities of Naga and Danao last Thursday.
At 4:15 a.m., two men were caught having pot session in Sitio Sta. Cruz in Barangay Sacsac, Pinamnugajan.
Police identified them as Rodrigo Telebangco Baraga, 36, and Noel Escobal Dilia, 32. Four sachets of white crystals substance believed to be shabu and six bullets were seized from the suspects.
In Barangay Caridad, Tuburan, operatives of the Municipal Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group arrested suspected drug pusher Eric Ylaya in a buy-bust at 5:30 a.m.
The team confiscated 11 sachets of suspected shabu, lighters, aluminum strips, surgical scissor and other drug paraphernalia.
Two hours later, police arrested Oscar Dioquino, 40, for allegedly cultivating marijuana in Sitio Tipolo, Barangay Sanlagan, Badian.
Some 198 fully-grown marijuana plants were uprooted.
A .357 magnum revolver with two bullets was confiscated from Dioquino.
At 10 p.m., Filsen Villarta Bocao, 24, was arrested by the police after he yielded a sachet of suspected shabu in a buy-bust in Barangay Tanke, Naga City.
Forty-five minutes later, Somala Udtogan Marohombsar, 44, was arrested after the police allegedly caught him buying shabu in Barangay Suba, Danao City.
Police will file complaints against the suspects for violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.