Anti-drug drive launched in Baclaran

The Parañaque City government launched yesterday its own anti-drug campaign at the very heart of Baclaran, one of the 11 drug hot spots in Metro Manila identified by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

At least 2,000 placard-bearing residents, students, members of urban poor groups, vendors, and Muslim groups marched around the alleys and main roads in Barangay Baclaran "in a show of support for President Arroyo’s declaration of war against drugs," a statement from the city government said.

The marchers were joined by Mayor Joey Marquez, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) deputy director general for operations, Gen. Rodolfo Caisip, Parañaque Rep. Eduardo Zialcita, and police chief, Supt. Ronald Estilles.

Markers were also placed in five streets in the barangay where suspected drug pushers and users were reported to be residing.

These were Bagong Silang Street, Bagong Ilog Street, D.G. Cruz Street, J. Gabriel Street, and Quirino Avenue.

In separate interviews, Marquez and Estilles said the markers were not part of a "shame campaign."

"We have positively identified the drug pushers and users living in those streets," Estilles told The STAR.

The markers, which said how many pushers and users lived on the said streets, were nailed on electric posts at the end of the streets and not placed right in front of the suspects’ houses, Marquez added.

Marquez also said tipsters would receive P2,000 and their barangay, P5,000, from the city government for information leading to the arrest of drug pushers and users.

Estilles said there were 43 identified drug pushers and 500 drug users in Baclaran, which has a total of 53,000 residents.

"The figures are serious for a small barangay like Baclaran," Estilles said.

Estilles added that four drug pushers and 14 users were arrested in Baclaran in the last two weeks, and fifty drug offenders in the entire city.

The Parañaque campaign was the first in the series of anti-drug campaigns to be launched by the Southern Police District (SPD) in coordination with the local government units in the following weeks, Estilles said.

Aside from Parañaque, the other towns and cities in Southern Metro Manila are Makati, Pasay, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Taguig, and Pateros.

In Muntinlupa, the city government would most likely "quarantine" the critical areas of its nine barangays and "mark" houses of confirmed users and pushers, said city information officer Tez Valencia. — Nikko Dizon