CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga (PIA) — The Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) are ramping up efforts to stop the re-emergence of illegal drug activities in villages and to protect the youth against drug use.
During a meeting on June 20, the Kalinga Police Provincial Office (KPPO) reported that illegal drug activities including the cultivation of marijuana are re-surging in some barangays in Pinukpuk and Tabuk City.
To address this concern, plans have been drawn to establish Community Police Assistance Centers or COMPACs in the identified barangays to beef up police presence and response, according to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Kalinga Provincial Director Anthony Manolo Ballug.
There are also plans to strengthen surveillance and intelligence activities with the help of village officials and to set up an incentive program to encourage the reporting of illegal drug activities.
“We intend to reorganize or re-establish the barangay intelligence network and we need funds to operationalize this one. At the same time, we also plan to establish a tipster’s fund plus a hotline number so that we can give a tipster’s fee to whoever will be reporting the sale of illegal drugs in those areas,” said Ballug.
To boost anti-illegal drug operations, the KPPO has increased the manpower of its Drug Enforcement Unit or DEU.
“We added personnel na ma-assign sa DEU dahil mahirap talaga kung kokonti ‘yung mga operatives natin sa DEU,” said KPPO Director PColonel Gilbert Fati-ig.
“Sila naman ‘yung tutulong din sa mga DEU sa mga [municipal police stations], likewise sa mga intel operatives natin para in tandem sila sa KPPO, sa city, and to all other municipal police station,” Fati-ig said.
In an effort to protect the youth from the dangers of illegal drugs, a massive information and education campaign will be implemented targeting high school students in partnership with the Department of Education-Kalinga.
Ballug informed that Gov. James Edduba has earmarked an amount of P200,000 for the conduct of these activities. (IOS-PIA Kalinga)
