177 drug personalities ‘surrenders,’ 300 more next week, police says

By Ben Serrano,
Correspondent

BUTUAN City — After successfully convincing 177 self-confessed drug personalities to turn themselves in on Wednesday at the San Francisco Gym, Agusan del Sur, and signed a “covenant of change” in public, some 300 more are expected also to turn themselves in next week, the province’s top cop said.

In a phone interview, yesterday, Agusan del Sur Chief of Police Chief Insp. Sandro Santillan said the next batch of 300 drug personalities who would turn themselves in to sign a “covenant of change” in public would come from one barangay alone.

Santillan, however, admitted they are facing a “big problem” on the drug rehabilitation component of Oplan Tok-hang since there is only one governmentun rehabilitation center in Caraga region. The facility, located in Surigao City, he said could only accomodate 100 patients.

“But at least we managed them to surrender voluntarily under Oplan Tok-hang and booked them. Do finger printing, took some mug shots, signed affidavits of undertaking and public signing of covenant of total change witnessed by our mayor and some local officials present including even members of the five pillars of justice system present yesterday,” Santillan said.

The Agusan del Sur provincial prosecutors’ office has extended legal counseling to the 177 drug personalities.

Local anti-illegal drug and crime watch groups in Caraga Region estimate that 20% of the region’s 2.2 million population are already hooked with illegal drugs as they blamed the late pro-active attitude of government against the drug menace.