Being watched

Police on to four public school teachers in province who are linked to drugs CPPO Director Eric Noble says they’re building cases against the teachers, who will be targets in future operations Dr. Rhea Mar Angtud, DepEd Cebu prov’l schools superintendent

FOUR public school teachers in Cebu Province are being monitored by the police for their alleged involvement in illegal drugs.

Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) Director Eric Noble said they are building up cases against the teachers, who will be targets in future operations.

The police official did not specify if the teachers are junkies or pushers.

“What we know is that they’re involved in illegal drugs. We won’t name them just yet, but we will arrest them no matter who they are,” Noble told reporters in Tagalog yesterday.

Noble also believes that if a school has a gang, its members are possibly hooked on illegal drugs.

In the past five months, Noble said almost 2,000 minors have surrendered during “Oplan Tokhang” (knock and plead) and promised to stop using drugs.

The CPPO is also coordinating with the Department of Education (DepEd) to address the drug problem in schools.

Condition

Dr. Rhea Mar Angtud, DepEd Cebu provincial schools superintendent, said she is alarmed and sad over reports that four of her teachers are involved in illegal drugs.

“It would be very helpful for us if we know the teachers and the schools (are) identified,” Angtud said in a text message,

However, she assured the CPPO of their cooperation.

Reports of teachers in the province being involved in illegal drugs are not new.

Last year, the Province asked the DepEd to let its teachers undergo random drug tests. But until now, the Province has yet to get a nod from Angtud.

In an earlier interview with Sun.Star Cebu, Angtud said she would support the activity as long as the results were kept confidential.

She said those found positive should undergo counseling and treatment provided by the Dangerous Drugs Board.

Undercover cops

For his part, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Joel Doria said he deployed undercover police officers to identify and arrest the pushers who are selling illegal drugs in eight public schools.

He instructed his intel- ligence operatives to coordinate with the schools’ security personnel.

Doria said they don’t have any idea about the illegal drug activities in schools so they will coordinate with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 7, which holds the information.

He said members of CCPO’s Police Community Relations Branch and Women and Children’s Protection Desk are going around schools, lecturing students about the ill-effects of drug abuse.

Meanwhile, Noble said he might relieve more than 10 police station chiefs, who are performing poorly against illegal drugs.

“Pag hindi sila magtino, pag hindi sila umayos, hindi ako bababa sa standards nila. Sila dapat ang humabol sa akin (If they don’t get their acts together, I’m not going to lower my standards. They should level up),” he said.

In Cebu City, Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas of Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 said Guadalupe Police Station Chief Jose Gesto was relieved for his poor performance in the drive against drugs.

Lawas, the deputy regional director for operations, said PRO 7 Director Noli Taliño issued the relief order last Wednesday.

He said they are evaluating the performances of other police stations chiefs and they might come up with their decision next week.