PRO7 on Illegal Drugs: This is War and We Cannot Afford to Lose

“This is a war and we cannot afford to lose, so no turning back but we will go on until we achieve our mission”, said PSSupt. Conrado S. Capa, Deputy Regional Director for Operations of the Police Regional Office (PRO)7 as he answers questions regarding how they fought against the proliferating illegal drugs business here.

Capa announced this combative stance on Friday during the 80th Talakayan sa Isyung Pulis (TSIP) Forum held at the PRO7 Headquarters along Osmeña Blvd, Cebu City.

He said he instructed all his station commanders to be always on alert status as they are on the 25th year of combating against this evil form of livelihood and investment.

Capa admitted that in the beginning, illegal drugs problem was yet in few areas in Cebu City but proliferated through the years.

“Until now it is almost in every place where human beings are staying,” he said.

He added that they are still hoping that drug problem will collapse when drug lords are in jail.

The monthly TSIP forum was attended by representatives from the different police stations in Metro Cebu areas such as the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapulapu, Cebu Provincial Police Office and other PRO7 departments and offices.

Comparing the anti-drug operations between the present year and last year from January to the month of October, it was learned that major accomplishments in the police operations, the number of arrested persons, number of cases filed in court and confiscations of illegal drugs were recorded this year rather than the past year.

Police records show that during the aforementioned period of 2014, police operatives have made 1,970 anti-drug operations, arrested around 205 drug personalities, 36 were already meted sentences in courts, and confiscated around 2,363.26 grams of shabu.

The records also showed a big difference between this year compared to the 2013 anti-drug operations which listed only 1,580, persons arrested were 180, cases filed in courts were 10 and 1,900 grams of shabu confiscated.

Capa said this means that while the problem is increasing, there are positive reactions of the community dwellers who, in one way or another, support the anti-drug campaigns of the police by reporting to them about the place where drug lords and their cohorts are staying.

He said that citizen’s report is a good development.

Higher officers of PRO 7 reminded their subordinates in the field to be always watchful during buy-bust operations because drug lords and drug dealers now are apparently fighting back against the authorities.

Last week, two police operatives were killed by still unidentified infiltrators during a drug raid.

Meanwhile, Capa also observed that Central Visayas region has the lowest problem as far as illegal drugs are concerned compared to the other regions in the country.

“Illegal drugs problem is basically jibed with the number of population, which means the bigger population a region has, a bigger problem on illegal drugs they also have”, he said.

But what the authorities are now trying to eradicate is the source of these illegal drugs and their couriers or drug dealers, then the possible users in various places of the region.

“Of course this needs a bigger funding for our intelligence operations, but with the cooperation and coordination of the public, we cannot see any impossible to make our mission a failure”, Capa said.