A TOTAL of 286 drug personalities were arrested and eight persons were killed in Negros Oriental since the implementation of the Project Double Barrel on July 1, 2016 until January 5, 2017.
“The war on drugs under ‘Project Double Barrel’ in Negros Oriental have proven to be effective," said Police Superintendent Carlos Lacuesta of the Provincial Police Office during a recent Peace and Order Council meeting.
rBut Lacuesta said "there are still government officials that are uncooperative especially when members of their families are involved."
He also stressed that the deaths during the drug operations in the province are not cases of extrajudicial killing but legitimate police procedures.
On the other hand, under Project TokHang, the number of self-confessed drug users and peddlers have been increasing, with a total of 13,518.
Of the total, 12,586 users and 932 pushers submitted themselves to authorities in the different cities and municipalities in the province.
rGuihulngan City topped in the list of cities with 1,056 (951 users and 105pushers), followed by Tanjay City with 1,029; Dumaguete City, 907; Bayawan City, 846; Bais City, 842; and Canlaon City, 626.
rRecords also show that the top five municipalities with the most number of drug surrenderers are Sibulan with 1,146; Sta. Catalina, 855; Siaton, 659; Mabinay, 609; and Bacong, 593.
rLacuesta said the relentless effort of this campaign should be sustained without let-up to ensure the eradication of illegal drugs and totally solve the drug problem in the province.
Nevertheless, Lacuesta said the doctrine of shared responsibility must be raised to the public.
He said the police in the province need to harness the indispensable participation and support of the citizenry in the Philippine National Police's anti-crime campaign to effectively address criminality. (PIA)