FOLLOWING the official declaration of “war on drugs” by Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte on Friday, March 22, 2024, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) revealed that more drug personalities have surrendered compared to those who were gunned down after resisting arrest.
Based on the official tally released by the DCPO, from March 22 to 26, 2024, at least 17 drug personalities have surrendered and around 22 cases were filed in the 21 buy-bust operations conducted by the anti-illegal drug operatives.
“Mas daghan ang ni-surrender [po] kaysa nanlaban (There are more who surrendered compared to those who resisted and fought back)," DCPO spokesperson Captain Hazel Tuazon told Davao reporters on Tuesday morning, March 26.
The operations also yielded an estimated 202.64 grams of shabu and 60.360 grams of marijuana.
This, following the start of the new city police director, Police Col. Richard Bad-ang’s watch.
Bad-ang is the current Area Police Command-Eastern Mindanao chief, the equivalent of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)’s Eastern Mindanao Command.
Tuazon also clarified in a separate statement via ABS-CBN News that these notorious drug individuals were killed in an armed confrontation.
"Ang DCPO ay laging nagpapaalala sa mga taong involved sa operasyon ng ilegal na droga na huminto na at kung aarestuhin man, dapat kusang sumurender at di manlaban kasi handang mag protekta ang ating mga kapulisan sa kanilang sarili para maprotektahan din ang maraming Dabawenyo na ang hangad ay ligtas na pamayanan para sa kanilang pamilya," Tuazon said.
(The DCPO always reminds people involved in illegal drugs to stop and, if they are being arrested, to surrender and not fight back. Our police are prepared to protect themselves so they can protect Dabawenyos who want a safe community for their families.)
To recall, Duterte announced during the turnover ceremony at DCPO Headquarters at Camp Leonor Domingo, in San Pedro Street on Friday, March 22 that he vows to kill those who are actively involved in illegal drugs.
“Ugma, ugma dayon panghawa na mo diri, panghipos na mo sa inyong mga gamit, panghawa na mo. Kay kung di mo mohawa, kay og di mo moundang, pampatyon ta mo (Tomorrow, as immediate as tomorrow, get out of here, pack your things and get out! If you will not leave, if you will not stop, I will kill you),” Duterte said.
Not more than 24 hours after the mayor’s pronouncement, the Top 1 city-level drug user was killed in a drug buy-bust operation after he allegedly resisted arrest by the Drug Enforcement Team of Buhangin Police Station in collaboration with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Davao Region (PDEA-Davao).
Seized from the suspect were 110 grams of suspected shabu worth P748,000, 50 grams of alleged marijuana worth P6,000, and a .45 caliber pistol which were recovered from the crime scene.
As of press writing, seven drug users were killed from different barangays in the city over the weekend after the mayor declared war against drugs. DEF