Duterte: Drugs continue to plague Central Visayas

CEBU, Philippines — Nearly two years into President Duterte’s flagship campaign against illegal drugs, Central Visayas and Cebu in particular remain hotbeds for meth or shabu.

Duterte, in his speech during the unveiling of the Malasakit Center in Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City on Monday, once again branded Cebu as having the highest rate of drug contamination in the country.

“Ang Cebu ha, I am warning it's the highest – one of the highest rate sa contamination. Hasta ang pulis diri. Cebu remains to be a problem sa drugs,” Duterte said.

The President brought up the region’s drug situation once again at a joint command conference between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) that was held on the same day here in Cebu.

Chief Superintendent Robert Quenery, Police Regional Office-7 director, revealed that Duterte opened the conference with a commitment to continue the narcotics crackdown until the end of his term.

“Number one, sinabi niya na until the last hour of his term of office, the battle against illegal drugs will continue, (and) he took special mention of Central Visayas,” Quenery said.

Duterte directed law enforcers to enhance the groundwork against illegal drugs to remedy the situation.

“The President believes that the drug problem here is still persistent. He tasked us to enhance our operations against illegal drugs,” Quenery said.

Since July 2016, over 49 kilos of illegal drugs worth more than P500 million have been seized by authorities in the region. 

More than 13,500 people have been arrested in about 8,000 operations while at least 120,000 personalities have surrendered during house visitations. Fatalities, meanwhile, have reached more than 200.

Quenery said the campaign against illegal drugs started strong in Central Visayas, but eventually waned when the police-led anti-illegal drug operations were suspended twice amid human rights issues and errant policemen.

“Malaki ang effect nung unang bugso, lalung-lalo na ang pag-transfer ng officers na perceived to be involved in illegal drug trade. Maraming officers ang nawala dito. Nagbago ang landscape naman, but still hindi dapat mag-relax. Still, (we will) continue ang ating momentum sa operations against illegal drugs,” Quenery said.

In response to the President’s challenge, Quenery has asked provincial and city directors to focus on groundwork for drug-clearing operations and encouraging drug personalities to join barangay-based rehabilitation during Tokhang operations.

He admitted, though, that ridding an area of drugs is challenging.

“Mahirap mag-clear ng barangay. Dapat there is no single pusher or user,” he said.

As of February 13, only 160 of the 1,066 barangays in Cebu province have been declared as “drug-free” by the oversight committee on illegal drugs.  In Cebu City, the case is worse with none of the 80 barangays declared drug-free.

“Doing that is a very ardent task. Dapat talaga mag-concentrate doon –arrest pushers and help users,” Quenery said.

Previously, authorities pointed out that drugs may have prospered in Central Visayas due to easy access to ports. In fact, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 tagged the region as transshipment point of illegal drugs.

Some law enforcers and barangay officials have been also tagged protecting illegal drug personalities.

Since 2016, several high-profile personalities in the region have been either neutralized or arrested, while others remain under the radar of law enforcers.

Peter Lim, a Cebuano businessman, is among the personalities Duterte revealed as a “big-time” drug lord in the Visayas, alongside Kerwin Espinosa, who confessed his participation and is currently detained.

During the President’s speech at the VSMMC event, he made a comment in vernacular that someone in Cebu is bound to be “ipatumba” or killed.

“Di nako masiguro og kinsa gyud pero one of these days, naa gyuy matumba. Ihatag nako sa… Kinsa man ako’y tagaan ani?” Duterte said, not elaborating any further.

However, Quenery said that during the command conference, the President did not single out any names.

“Directly naman, wala siyang minention, (though) there are high-profile personalities that are persons of interest as far as illegal drug trade in Central Visayas (is concerned),”he said.

Quenery said high-profile drug personalities are still being monitored and that police are focused on gathering evidence at the moment. — /JMD (FREEMAN)