CEBU – Governor Hilario Davide III has ordered the police to intensify its campaign against illegal drugs following reports that the province has become a transshipment point for drug syndicates.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has urged Cebu government officials to improve security measures in airports, seaports, wharves and bus terminals to solve drug-related problems.
PDEA Deputy Regional Director Esperidion Javier said the proliferation of illegal drugs is the main problem of Cebu.
“Ang mga nababalitaang patayan, barilan, nakawan indicators lang yan. Anong kadahilanan? Naka-drugs (Reported killings, shootouts, robbery and others are just indicators of the real problem. Identified cause of crimes is illegal drugs.) So the real problem in Cebu is drugs, crimes are sub-problems only,” he said.
This was also raised during the recent Cebu Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting presided by Davide.
According to Javier, the solution to the drug problems in Cebu is to “contain and constrict all ports, seaports, wharves, bus terminals and even town boundaries so illegal drugs cannot enter the province.”
With this, the PPOC agreed to conduct seminar and workshops for town and city mayors and their representatives in an effort to further enhance security measures in their respective areas.
Davide ordered to gather all town and city mayors and their representatives to attend the workshop. “We are going to set the date for the workshop for mayors and representatives on how to enhance further our security measures here in Cebu especially in ports because of reported illegal drugs coming in from Manila,” he said.
Javier reported told the PPOC that illegal drugs in Cebu are being smuggled through private couriers from different parts of the country, and even from as far as Malaysia.
Davide, who was alarmed with the report, said: “Cebu has become a transshipment point for drugs because of its ports that make it convenient for suppliers to bring in illegal drugs in the province.”
“Mao na nga importante kaayo nga duna ta security measures dinhi para ma-control nato (That’s why it’s very important to have security measures in ports so we can control the entry of drugs.) If we cannot totally eliminate it, then we can at least lessen drug entry in Cebu,” he said.
Davide also admitted that the province still lack police personnel.
“Apparently, kulang pa gyud ta ug mga police. So we’ll make a representation at the Provincial Board and request for more police personnel in the province,” he said.
He said the PPOC will request the Philippine National Police for additional personnel to be assigned in the province.
In light of the series of town hall burglaries in Cebu in recent weeks, Provincial Board member Sun Shimura also requested authorities to increase police visibility in Cebu and conduct random checkpoints in every town.
The Treasury’s offices of Compostela, Carmen, Sogod and Pinamungajan lost thousands of pesos due to burglary.
Shimura also urged municipal government to install surveillance cameras.
“It’s very useful especially when crimes happen in our towns. We can identify the perpetrators of crimes through the video recordings of closed-circuit television cameras,”check through CCTV the suspects’ entrance and exit points as well as where they are heading to,” Shimura said.
However, other town officials said they have not enough funding to put up CCTVs.
Davide said one of the things to be discussed in the workshop is how the provincial government can assist towns in procuring CCTVs.
“If necessary, the province will assist with the procurement of these CCTVs for the towns. According to Board member Shimura, dili ra man daw kaayo mahal basta importante adunay (they’re not that expensive as long as there are) cameras in town boundaries,” he said. (Lianne Llesol)
20