- Advertisement -

By LITO RULONA
and EDWIN IYO
Correspondents

TWO public high school teachers responded to the police’s “Oplan Tokhang” campaign in a Misamis Oriental town, and promised authorities they would mend their ways.

- Advertisement -

Police provincial director Senior Supt. Manuel Sukarno Alvarez reported this to the provincial board this week. He said it surprised him that public teachers in the province were into drugs.

“They went to the municipal police station early in the morning to clear their names, and to say that they were just hooked on drugs and not distributors. User lang gyud daw sila,” he said.

Alvarez said one of the teachers is male while the other one is female.

He said this even as he revealed that the problem on substance abuse in the province has worsened.

In his list of areas in the province with the most number of illegal drugs users, couriers, and “runners” are Gingoog city, Tagoloan, Villanueva, Medina, Opol and Talisayan.

“Kining mga munisipyo nga naa sa top sa list because they are thickly populated,” said Alvarez.

On Wednesday night, a drug suspect was shot dead by authorities after the latter allegedly engaged them in a shootout in Gingoog City.

SPO4 Teddy Macarayo identified the fatality as Dennis Picano a.k.a. Inoy of Purok 2, Barangay Agay-ayan, Gingoog.

Macarayo said a police team were carrying out a buy-bust operation in Picano’s neighborhood when the suspect tried to shoot law enforcers with his caliber .38 revolver.

Picano succumbed to a single gunshot to the chest, said Macarayo.

“Ang nahitabo naka posisyon na ang team sa buy-bust pero nakabantay ang mga target personalities ug kana si Picano mibunot sa pistula ug mipusil atubangan sa mga police apan wala kabuto,” Macarayo said.

The main target of the buy-bust operation was a certain Ian Maagad, according to Macarayo.

But he said Maagad and an unidentified companion were able to evade arrest.

Police claimed they found suspected shabu and drug paraphernalia at the crime scene.

Meanwhile, Misamis Oriental Vice Gov. Jose Mari Pelaez urged local officials to submit to mandatory drug tests, noting the increasing number of persons involved in illegal drug activities in the province.

“This is scary and lamentable,” said Pelaez of the drug menace.

A report from Alvarez showed that the number of drug pushers and users who yielded because of Operation Tokhang has reached 13 thousand in the province alone.

Alvarez’s report also indicated that in Misamis Oriental, Gingoog topped the list of the most number of “surrenderers,” followed by Tagoloan, Villanueva, Opol and Medina.

Pelaez proposed that the capitol set aside funds for mandatory drug tests for local officials and employees.

“We set an example nga clear among ngalan nga wala kami nagagamit sa illegal nga droga,” he said.

He feared that the number of persons involved in the illegal drug trade and use would increase in the coming weeks as Alvarez vowed to intensify the campaign.

“Daghan pa gyud kayo ang minors aning 13 thousand. Nahadlok na kita niini. I believe that the number is not half of the exact number. Mas daghan pa man siguro,” Pelaez said.

Aside from the mandatory drug tests, the provincial board also stressed the need to set aside funds to build a provincial drug rehabilitation center.

Disclaimer

Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.

- Advertisement -