CEBU, Philippines – The Cebu Police Provincial Office has been recognized by the Philippine National Police headquarters as the top performing police office in the country in the campaign against illegal drugs.
This after it confiscated at least P69 million worth of illegal drugs in numerous operations from July 2014 up to July 2015.
Senior Superintendent Noel Gillamac, CPPO director, showed the plaque of recognition to the members of the media. The award was given to him last Wednesday by PNP Director General Ricardo Marquez at Camp Crame.
The award recognized CPPO as the best performing Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group in the country.
The PNP headquarters compared the results of the anti-illegal drug operations of all the provincial police offices in the whole country from July last year up to July of this year.
CPPO conducted 1,120 operations which include 525 buy-bust operations; 152 implementation of search warrants; 364 saturation drives; eight marijuana eradications; and 72 arrests of suspected drug personalities based on warrants of arrest.
These operations netted at least P69.2 million worth of drugs and marijuana and resulted in the filing of over 1,000 cases.
Gillamac clarified though that although they were able to confiscate more than their provincial counterparts in the country, it does not necessarily follow that drugs are rampant in the province.
“It does not follow nga daghan ta’g operations sa province nga daghan sad ang droga,” Gillamac said.
CPPO has also identified police stations that performed well in the campaign against illegal drugs: Danao City Police Station and the police stations of Consolacion, Liloan, Tuburan, and Balamban.
Following the award, the provincial headquarters vowed to intensify the campaign against illegal drugs.
Gillamac said he had already ordered all chiefs of police in the province to monitor illegal drug activities in their respective areas of responsibilities.
He said this includes the monitoring of the possible presence of shabu laboratories in the province.
He said though that he has not received reports from the intelligence operatives in the different units of the presence of shabu labs in the region.
He explained that while the police are doing their job, they cannot do it alone without the support of the community.
He said the support of the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council is instrumental for the success of their different anti-illegal drugs operations in the past. —/ATO (FREEMAN)