LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- The Police Regional Office (PRO)-Cordillera is hopeful it would be able to finish the accounting of identified drug personalities and focus on the new ones.
PRO-Cordillerais Chief of regional operations and planning division Homer Penecilla, during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Multi-Sectoral Forum in Benguet, said “we are only left with 0.01 percent of the total target drug personalities, who needs to be accounted for.”
He said there are 21,211 persons, who voluntarily surrendered, arrested and killed in legitimate police operations during the “Oplan Tokhang,” which started at the beginning of the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Except those who are newly getting involved in the illegal drugs, we are confident we would be able to account them all soon,” said the police officer.
Penecilla also said President Rodrigo Duterte has transmitted the names of 79 persons from the Cordillera, who are included in his list and except for one; the 78 others have been accounted for.
“We are doing good,” he said as he revealed the big decrease in the number of crimes committed in the region, which are directly linked with illegal drug use.
Penecilla reported on the volume of crimes, a decrease of 34.10 percent was noted in the 3,847 recorded from January to May 2017 compared to the same period in 2016 when there were 5,838 crimes listed.
He noted that index crimes decreased by 58.22 percent while non-index crimes decreased by 21.58 percent.
He said they noticed the decrease in crimes committed was from July 2016 to May 2017, when Oplan Double Barrel Alpha and Oplan Double Barrel Reloaded were being implemented. This was after the lifting of the Philippine National Police’s direct involvement in the implementation of the anti-drug campaign of the government.
He reported the Cordillera’s non-index crime situation has theft being the top crime committed at 33 percent followed by physical injury, 31 percent; rape and robbery, 12 percent; murder and carnapping, four percent; homicide, three percent and cattle rustling, one percent.
For the index crimes, vehicular traffic accidents top the list which is primarily due to human error.
Penecilla said the decrease in the number of crimes is directly attributed to the strong campaign against illegal drugs.
The officer said at the start of the term of President Duterte, an average of 356 crimes which include the eight focus crimes was recorded. During the implementation of Oplan Double Barrel and Double Barrel Alpha, the number dipped to 157 in February.
During the non-involvement of the PNP in the anti-drugs campaign, the number increased to 189 in March and April. It again decreased to 141 in May when the PNP resumed its anti-drugs campaign.
Penecilla said under the anti-drug campaign of President Duterte, ridding the streets of drug pushers and users has led to a downtrend in the crimes committed. (PNA)