PDEA: Dumaguete remains a transient point for drugs
By Ed Sestoso
Dumaguete City remains the transient point for the shipment of illegal drugs from Mindanao to Cebu , Siqujor and Negros Occidental.
This was the assessment made by SPO1 Manuel Sanchez, provincial chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in an interview with the members of the media just recently.
He said generally in the province there is a recorded reduction in the supply of illegal drugs
SPO1 Sanchez said that, for the first quarter of this year, they have recorded 44 apprehensions, including an arrest in Siquijor province.
While there is 8 arrests in January and February, and 10 in March.
For the first quarter of 2008, Sanchez said they noticed a significant reduction of arrested drug suspects.
While the city remains as a transient point of the illegal drugs, Dumaguete police chief, Supt. Leopoldo Cabanag, earlier said that drug situation in the city has decreased by at least 50 percent.
He, however has not presented any data to support his statements.
But, PDEA countered by saying that based on the records , their agency had 18 apprehensions including the recent arrest of a lawyer in Siquijor.
Sanchez said aside from Dumaguete, some major parts of the province serves also as secondary transient points considering the number of wharfs and ports that provide easy access from Mindanao to Visayas.
The PDEA chief further pointed out that the coastal village of Looc and Luke Wright Street remain as the areas frequented by drug personalities.
The PDEA expects an increase of drug supply in June during the opening of classes.
Sanchez said they are encouraging barangay officials and the school administrators to conduct drug awareness programs for students and parents, which may be conducted by PDEA and the Task Force 24.
PDEA will also accommodate requests from barangay officials for them to conduct community dialogs.
Home 
Sat May 10, 2008 2:45 am