406 persons arrested in 4 months of drug busts

By BEN SERRANO,
Correspondent

BUTUAN City — A total of 406 persons were arrested with nearly P17 million worth of illegal drugs confiscated in a total of 280 illegal drug bust operations, conduct of checkpoints, implementations of search warrants, saturation drive of government campaign against illegal drugs in Caraga Region from January 1 to May 29, this year alone, Police Regional Office 13 Chief Supt. Rolando Felix said in a statement.

It can be recalled that during visit of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Arturo Cacdac, Jr. here in Caraga Region. Cacdac said the region is third among regions in the country seriously affected by illegal drugs with 73% of its total number of barangays already affected.

The PRO 13 press statement, forwarded on Monday morning, said that among those arrested were three police officers identified as SPO2 Elmer L. Dela Torre, PO1 Edgaro M. Aquino, and SPO1 Eleonor N. Osico.

“The days of drug pushers/users are already numbered as our troops will stage more police operations to bring them behind bars,” said Felix.

Felix warned that erring PNP personnel caught in illegal drugs activities will be dismissed from the service.

The region’s top cop also urged the community to strengthen its cooperation with the police to sustain substantial gains against illegal drugs.

But critics particularly the group Caraga Social Watch claimed Felix warnings are not just as easy as that saying it will not end drugs problems in Caraga Region. ‘Felix the cat’ must study more,” the group said.

The group urged immediate cleansing at the judicial, prosecution system saying allegations of corruption hinders much publicized government anti-illegal drug campaign because moneyed suspects are easily released, jumped bail, and back to selling drugs and the vicious cycles continues with PNP report recycled again and again.

The group also urged building of much needed drug rehabilitation centers in Caraga Region saying the region has only one such center operational at present located in Surigao City with only has limited 50 persons capacity to accept growing numbers of patients needed immediate attention.

The group said, alarming, worsening situation of fully crowded, jampacked jails all over Caraga Region particularly in urban centers due rising number of arrested illegal drug suspects were likened to tickling social time bombs waiting to explode saying jails with only 20 to 30 inmates per cell capacity are already occupied with 50 to 100 inmates

It claimed that because of overcrowded Caraga jails all over the region, it affect and endangers not only health of the inmates but also it is reasoned why the number of illegal drug addicts inside jails increased while the risks of security, jail breaks also tremendously increased.