By Jade C. Zaldicar
Exactly P751,867.73 worth of illegal drugs were seized by government authorities from January to April this year, according to the summary report of the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) submitted to the City Mayor’s Office.
Yet, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio yesterday said the figures still indicate that ‘this is not enough.’
“Gamay pa lang ni siya. Kinanglan pa nato pakusgan ang atong campaign against drugs. It’s a given na kung unsa man ang nadakpan sa atong mga pulis ug sa PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) mas daghan pa na ang existing gyud nga amount of drugs nga naa sa syuydad,” she said in a June 4 interview at the Grand Men Seng Hotel.
The city mayor said the drugs were seized through the combined operations of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) and PDEA in Davao Region.
“Sa kadako sa syudad, we’re at 1.5 million population, naa man gyud gud nay mu-lakas loob nga musulod diri ug drugs ug mamaligya tungod sa kadako nga area nga gina-handle sa atong mga pulis. But this should not be reason nga dili sila madakpan,” the city mayor said.
“We continue in our efforts against drugs and we expect our police and PDEA to do their job,” she added.
Seized drugs from January to April were of 136.1 grams of marijuana leaves, 2 marijuana plants, 80 grams of shabu and 8 grams of ecstasy.
These were seized from a total of 71 operations wherein 87 persons were arrested.
The DCPO and PDEA 11 filed 152 cases before the Regional Trial Court 11.
During the same period, CADAC also received from concerned citizens 3 reports on illegal drugs activities which were immediately referred and endorsed to PDEA and the Heinous Crime Division of DCPO.
Meanwhile, CADAC has conducted education seminars to 33 public elementary and high schools in the city participated by a total of 3,654 students.
The agency also conducted seminars to the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and barangays Bago Aplaya, Lubogan, Biao Escuela, Tacunan, Los Amigos, Angalan, Bankas Heights, Malagos, 39-D, Bunawan, Tibungco, Lasang, Mahayag, Callawa, and Panalum with a total of 841 participants.
CADAC, which oversees the operation of the Davao Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Drug Dependents (DCTRCDD), also offered assistance and referrals to psychiatrists and psychologists and prepare legal documents necessary to obtain court orders for voluntary rehabilitation.
As among the key agencies involved in the campaign against illegal drugs, CADAC implements a three-pronged approach in the campaign against dangerous.
These approaches are: a) prevention of drugs through education campaign; b) prevention through a rehabilitation program; and c) prevention through intelligence gathering.
