By Christopher Lloyd T. Caliwan
Philippine National Police Chief General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa (center) and other police officials salute as they wear local Igorot tribe headdress while singing the national anthem during a visit at the PNP Camp Dangwa in Benguet in this picture taken last Saturday. .(MNS photo)
MANILA (PNA) – More than 700,000 suspected drug users and pushers in the country surrendered to police authorities while 22,503 people were arrested in line with ‘Oplan Tokhang’ and ‘Project Double Barrel’, the initiatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to wipe out illegal drugs and criminality in the country.
As of 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, the PNP have knocked 1,634,111 houses of suspected drug personalities that resulted to the surrender of 732,698 drug suspects, 679,830 from these were self-confessed drug users while 52,868 were identified as drug pushers.
Meanwhile, a total of 22,503 drug suspects were arrested while 1,377 drug personalities were killed during police operations.
Under ‘Oplan Tokhang’, station commanders will ask barangay (villages) captains to submit a list of residents who are into illegal drugs, whether these are pushers, dealers, users and couriers.
The police intelligence unit will then verify the report and check if these persons are indeed involved in drugs as there are instances where barangay captains themselves are behind the illegal drug trade while some list down names of their rivals.
PNP Chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa was satisfied on the results of the campaign against drugs and ordered the cops to intensify the campaign to eradicate the illegal drugs as well as crimes.
”We are winning the war on drugs but still, I want to make sure that victory so I want the police force to peform better,” the PNP Chief noted.