Muntinlupa drugbusters bring war to barangay level

Drugbusters are determined to bring the war down to the barangay level.

Barangay officials in Muntinlupa City are now being trained by local police in combating illegal drugs in their respective areas through effective intelligence gathering and drug bust operations.

The city’s Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Office (DAPCO) said that through the training program, ranking police officers can share with barangay officials techniques in outsmarting suspected drug pushers and traffickers in the area.

DAPCO chief Chito Valerio said the program would enable barangay officials to help police combat illegal drugs operations and pave the way to a barangay-wide training where all residents would be expected to participate.

"It aims to strengthen the city’s anti-drug campaign and enhance the current watchlist of data of information on suspected drug pushers and users," he said in a statement.

City Police Deputy Chief for Operations Superintendent Edgar Ferrater is handling seminars on intelligence, surveillance and undercover work.

Barangay officials, including watchmen, also undergo training in arresting suspects and handling seized evidence under fiscal Vicente Francisco.

The program would also pave the way for the implementation of DAPCO’s Tracker Project, which will create a watchdog in every barangay through a secret pointman.

"The pointman is important in the program because he or she will be the one to verify the information on illegal drugs being fed by the tipster or DAPCO Tracker member on the text hotline. The person can confirm the report to DAPCO before any other action can be taken against the suspect," explained Valerio.

Authorities have assured the safety of the pointman, whose identity would be strictly confidential.

Valerio stressed that through trackers they would be able to create a local intelligence data base on suspected drug pushers and users in coordination with youth councils, homeowners’ associations, non-government organizations and the private sector.

The official added the data base would be comprehensive enough to include records of drug suspects in kidnapping, robbery, and other crimes.

He also cited the importance of coordination with other local government and national agencies, saying 20 percent of reports they received last year were under the jurisdiction of neighboring cities.

In such cases, Valerio said they forward the information to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Dangerous Drugs Board for necessary action.