CATBALOGAN CITY -- At least 481 self-confessed drug users and peddlers in Eastern Visayas have voluntarily surrendered to authorities, as the Philippine National Police (PNP) intensified its anti-illegal drug campaign.
A report obtained from the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Eastern Visayas based in Palo, Leyte, showed that at least 481 (271 drug users and 210 pushers) surrendered in the six provincial police offices and police stations in Tacloban and Ormoc cities as of July 3. No single substance of shabu or any drugs had been surrendered.
Also, no drug personality was killed in the region since the PNP launched its Oplan Double Barrel on Friday, July 1.
The Eastern Visayas police said there are at least 3,523 drug personalities listed under the drug watch list of the police and Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Badac) in the region.
As of July 3, at least 273 house visitations or 11.13 percent of the 2,916 personalities targeted for Oplan Tok/Hang (Katok and Hangyo) of the PNP were conducted.
One person from Samar province, however, denied he had illegal drug activities during one of the house visitations conducted by the police.
In Catbalogan City, at least 41 illegal drug personalities voluntarily surrendered when policemen and local government officials conducted house visitation last July 1.
“Oplan Katok at Hangyo aimed to encourage drug personalities to yield and voluntarily undergo for total rehabilitation,” said Superintendent Edwin Barbosa, chief of the Catbalogan City Police Station.
Barbosa said that those who surrendered underwent the required processing, such as orientation, signing of affidavit of undertaking and promise not to engage again in illegal drug activities.
“They will be closely monitored. Amnesty and assistance will be given to the serious ones,” said Barbosa.
Below are the partial data in terms of the number of drug personalities who have surrendered in their respective provincial police offices:
* Leyte – 101 users, 66 pushers
* Southern Leyte – 3 users, 0 pusher
* Biliran – 9 users, 7 pushers
* Samar – 35 ushers, 2 pushers
* Eastern Samar – 34 users, 24 pushers
* Northern Samar – 64 users, 64 pushers
* Ormoc City – 10 users, 27 pushers
* Tacloban City - 15 users and 20 pushers
Even before the nationwide crackdown on personalities involved in illegal drugs started, thousands of drug personalities from various parts of the country surrendered to authorities for fear of being killed.
The project Double Barrel was the first nationwide directive issued by newly installed PNP Chief Ronald Dela Rosa. It was patterned after the successful community-based anti-illegal drug campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao City. (Sunnex)
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