CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) — With clear instructions to quell the illegal drug menace in the country, police authorities in Central Visayas seized a total drug value of over P2.5 billion since President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. assumed office in 2022.
Police Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, regional director of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7, reported the breakdown of hauled drugs from June 30, 2022 until July 31, 2024 of shabu and marijuana.
The volume of shabu confiscated in the said period was 369,698.90 grams, while marijuana was 270,956.42 grams with a total net worth of P2,546,959.490.40, said Aberin during the weekly Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas program on Aug. 6 at the PRO-7 headquarters in Cebu City.
In the fight against illegal drugs, “after the assumption of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., we were able to confiscate more than P2.5 billion worth of illegal drugs, and have arrested more than 17,000 drug personalities,” stressed Aberin.
Anti-drug operations conducted totaled 14,033 and a 99 percent conviction rate for arrested drug personalities.
Aberin reported the value of illegal drugs destroyed reached over P1.2 billion with the last public destruction held two months ago, where some invited media members were present as witnesses, a procedural requirement.
“We give credit to the indispensable support of our community. Without that, we will not have that many high operational accomplishments,” said Aberin, as he also cited the significant partnerships with other government agencies such as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, National Bureau of Investigation, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Aberin said no illegal drugs emanated in the region, but the region, particularly Cebu, serves as a transshipment point for illegal drugs to be distributed to neighboring provinces and for distribution within Central Visayas.
The PRO-7 chief admitted that the campaign against illegal drugs is very challenging because it is the source of criminal acts.
He explained that when one is hooked into drugs, the tendency is for the person to commit crimes, so crime rate goes up.
If we curb the problem, then we prevent more crimes from happening, he added.
Aberin, however, assured the public that the problem of illegal drugs in Central Visayas is still “manageable.”
Although Aberin said he cannot claim that the fight against illegal drugs is a total success amid the continuing operations, but the confiscation of more than P2.5 billion worth of illegal drugs, which is a great reduction in supply, and the arrest of more than 17,000 drug personalities is already a high accomplishment.
With 71 percent of the 3,003 barangays in Central Visayas already drug-cleared, Aberin said “eventually, we are moving in that direction of a 100 percent drug-cleared barangays in Region 7.”
The remaining 29 percent of the total barangays that need to be cleared are mostly located in the tri-cities of Cebu, Mandaue. and Lapulapu, which, as urban centers, are where most of the illegal drugs are found.
The PRO-7 chief said that though many challenges faced the police in their anti-drug war, but as long as procedures or operational guidelines are adhered to, “then we can never go wrong since we do not resort to extra judicial means and we value human life.”
In his 3rd State of the Nation Address on July 22 this year, Pres. Marcos said the government’s anti-drug war must adhere to no loss of innocent lives as extermination as a strategy is never one of them.
Aberin said there are devoted police teams that solely concentrate on the campaign against illegal drugs, illegal gambling, and other kinds of crimes, with thrice-a-month operations, as he expressed optimism that PRO-7 can be able to achieve a 100 percent drug-cleared barangays regionwide by yearend.
“We need the support and the cooperation of the barangays. We can never be successful because the information and names come from them,” said Aberin. (FCR/PIA7)
