No Let Up in Drive Vs Drugs in Cebu

Anti-drug operations will be sustained as the campaign against illegal drugs remain a top priority in the agenda of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO).

Last year, 3,226 individuals were nabbed by the different police units in the province for illegal drugs, either as user or pusher, while 4,187 cases were filed in the proper courts.

Out of the 2,349 anti-drug operations conducted last year, the CPPO confiscated a total of P152.89 million worth of drugs, mainly marijuana and shabu, according to Chief Inspector Florendo Fajardo of CPPO.

The top five performing police offices in the province are the cities of Talisay, Danao, Carcar, Toledo and the municipality of Consolacion.

In a presentation during the First Quarter Meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) presided by Gov. Hilario Davide III, Fajardo reported that crime volume in the province slightly dipped by 2.28 percent last year compared to 2017.

From January to December 2017, a total of 19,364 crimes were recorded, which went down to 18,923 cases in 2018.

Index crimes or crimes against persons and properties also went down last year compared in 2017 from 3,483 down to 3,087 cases or an equivalent of 11.37 percent reduction.

Physical injuries topped the list of index crimes last year, followed by theft, robbery, rape, and murder.

Likewise, non-index crimes were also cut by 0.28 percent from 15,881 cases in 2017, down to 15,836 last year.

Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (CPADAO) Director Ivy Remedios Durano-Meca, in the same meeting, reported that out of the 1,066 barangays in the province, 76 percent are affected by illegal drugs as of December 2018.

Meca said seven are seriously affected, while 378 barangays are moderately affected, and 423 barangays are slightly affected.

There are 13 barangays, however, that remain unaffected and 245 barangays declared as drug-cleared by the oversight committee, added Meca.

CPADAO vowed to continue its campaign in demand reduction through the conduct of drug abuse prevention seminars in the workplace as it worked in holding mandatory random drug testing for public officials and employees.

“There were 77 government employees that tested positive for drugs last year and 11 other government and barangay officials who yielded positive for drugs during the random drug testing,” said Meca.

She said they would regularly collaborate across government agencies, non-government organizations, media, and the private sector in mobilizing the public for the anti-drug advocacy.

Davide thanked the members of the military, police, and other concerned agencies and stakeholders for ensuring the safety of the Cebuanos as he assured them of his support on the campaign against illegal drugs and criminality.

The CPPO report summed the province as generally peaceful and continues to be a good haven for business and tourism due to strong partnership of the local government units, community, law enforcement units, and the state security forces. (fcr/pia7)