CAPITOL is not focusing on building rehabilitation centers since the 28,000 surrenderees in Cebu Province, including minors as young as eight years old, don’t want to be rehabilitated.
“The rehab centers are out of the picture for the fact that there is no single surrenderee who will voluntarily submit himself for rehab,” Ivy Durano-Mecca, head of the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office, said.
She said that in their profiling, minors as young as eight were brought to them by their parents.
“Shabu gyod iyang gamit (He really uses shabu). Majority are from the poor families,” Meca said.
She said the minors shared shabu with each other.
To address the problem, Mecca said they presented a framework for a crisis intervention program to Gov. Hilario Davide III to be the official program for the whole province of Cebu.
“This program will be implemented and adopted for the whole province of Cebu only,” she said.
Mecca said this program starts from the profiling down to the treatment of the surrenderees in preparation for re-integration into society.
This is a community-based effort that offers psychological education, life skills, alternative activities and counseling to the surrenderees, she said.
As regards the budget, she said it will not cost anything as of now because the CIPADAO is leading the profiling and screening.
Treatment aspect
But in the treatment aspect, it is the concern of the local government units (LGUs), especially as regards the honorarium of the barangay health workers and other volunteers who will administer the treatment, Mecca said.
As of now, only 16 LGUs in the province are profiled, hence the CIPADAO is working overtime for the profiling.
“Since this is a crisis we need to address it as soon as possible,” she said.
This, as two men were arrested together with twenty others during a raid against illegal guns last Sunday.
Police caught Anecito Ebrado Jr., 26, an alleged robber who is also in the drugs watch list and Rogelio Opiala, 27, bringing firearms and illegal drugs in Sitio Paradise II, Barangay Kinasang-an.
Police confiscated from Ebrado two small packs of shabu and one unlicensed 38 revolver with four live bullets.
Seized
Seized from Opiala was 38 revolver with bullets.
“Nataymingan lang gyod to nga nag-surveillance ang mga polis unya nakit-an ni sila nagdala-dala og pusil (It was by chance that the police were conducting a surveillance and they were seen bringing firearms),” Enriquez said.
The two failed to present documents for their guns.
Police said Ebrado had been on their watch list for a time now, while Opiala was allegedly about to victimize someone in the area.
Punta Prinsesa Police Station also arrested Paul Abella, 31, Jade Alfanta, 34, and Mark Gonzales, 32, for having in their possession sniffing paraphernalia in Barangay Labangon.
The three raised suspicion when they said they were waiting for a friend at 5:20 a.m. and when they were asked to draw out their pockets, several drug paraphernalia were found.
In Barangay Kamputhaw, a concerned citizen alerted the police about persons repacking shabu in the area.
Police caught Jose Rogero, 32, with drug paraphernalia.
Loyd Abalo, 21, and a minor were caught by Police Station 9 after a theft victim identified them as suspect.
When the Waterfront Police Station conducted an Oplan Tokhang in Barangay Tejero, they apprehended Bienvenido Cañedo, 50, Alexander Daug, 31, and William Gengoyon, 26, as they were about to have a pot session.
Police Stations 1 and 11 also arrested Ricky Sabal, 43, Junrey Navarro, Ren Medallo, 40, and Aniamo Toslado, 41.
A man wielding a 9-inch kitchen knife was also arrested by the Police Station 11. Police identified him as Jamby Lunop, 41.
Junjun Obines, 29, an alleged shoplifter, and Reynaldo Pitos, 25, were also caught with one sachet of shabu each.
In a buy-bust operation, Mark Lester Cristobal, 19, was caught selling shabu to a decoy. Four small sachets of shabu were seized from him.
Crispin Babatoan, 33, Aljoven Añana, 22, and Alberich Torreon, 21, were also arrested in Barangay Suba.
They will face charges for violation of anti-drugs laws. Camille L. Pateres, Danielle Ann Tan, USJ-R Interns