Barangay chairman starts house-to-house anti-drug campaign

By NITZ ARANCON
and LITO RULONA
Correspondents

A BARANGAY chairman here has started doing the rounds and asking drug suspects to stop what they are doing.

Marlo Tabac, barangay chairman of Gusa, yesterday said he has already started conducting house-to-house visitations to ask villagers known to be hooked on illegal drugs and the illicit drug trade to stop.

“Lakip ang ilang nga ginikanan sa mga drug suspect akong gihangyo nga ilang kombinsihon ang ilang anak nga moundang na sa ilang daotang trabaho kay kon dili sila  moundang sa pag-gamit ug pagbaligya sa illegal  drugs, duha ray pa-ingnan nila–either sa Lumbia jail or sa menteryo,” Tabac said.

Authorities, taking a cue from tough-talking President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, have started a renewed campaign against illegal drugs.

The Agora police alone arrested five drug suspects so far this week alone. They were caught selling suspected shabu, said Omar Labuntog, barangay chairman of Lapasan, Gusa’s neighboring village.

In Macasandig on Tuesday night, police arrested a suspected drug dealer and robbery suspect during a buy-bust operation.

Police investigator Alvin Reursora of the Macasandig police identified the suspect as Abdullah Abraham a.k.a. Tarat, 25, of Karesna, Sitio Macanhan, Barangay Carmen, this city.

Police seized from the suspect two-heat sealed sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, “marked money,” and caliber .22 revolver with four bullets.

“Tarat was responsible for a series of robbery cases in the area,” Reursora alleged.

He said police a second suspect, who was under surveillance, evaded arrest.

“He (Abraham) was caught unaware,” said Reursora said.

Abraham is facing charges for violation of  the Dangerous Drugs Act and illegal arms possession.

Abraham’s arrest came hours after the Cogon police caught a former mechanic during a separate buy-bust operation.

Chief Insp. Alfredo Ortiz, Cogon police chief, identified the suspect as Alfredo Lavalle, 58, of Sto. Niño in Barangay 31.

Police seized from the suspect sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of some P50 thousand, “marked money,” and drug paraphernalia.

Lavalle denied that the suspected shabu was his.

“Gibilin ra man kini sa akoa. Balikan ra man kuno ni,” he said.

Police said Lavalle served time at the Lumbia jail due to a drug case, and he was released just a month ago.

Meanwhile, Tabac and Labuntog confirmed that illegal drugs have become one of the problems in their respective barangays.

“Tinood kana, daghang illegal drugs dinhi sa among barangay. Wala man tingali barangay sa tibo-ok Pilipinas nga walay illegal drugs,” said Labuntog.

Labuntog said he and Agora police chief Ariel Philip Pontillas met to finalize details on how they would carry out the illegal drug campaign in Lapasan.

Labuntog said the police would launch “Oplan Tokhang” in addition to what barangay officials of Lapasan have accomplished so far in its ongoing anti-drug program.

For his part, Tabac said the Barangay  Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Badac) was instrumental in listing drugs suspects in Gusa. The list, he said, was submitted to the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo).

City police director Senior Supt. Faro Antonio Olaguera earlier said the problem on illegal drugs was alarming especially in barangays Carmen, Iponan, Lapasan, Macabalan, Consolacion, Puntod, Gusa, Tablon, Bugo, Puerto, Camaman-an, Nazareth, Macasandig, Kauswagan, and Bulua.