Espino welcomes additional budget for drug campaign

Police Regional Office-7 Director Chief Superintendent Jose Mario Espino welcomed the additional budget for the “Oplan Double Barrel Reloaded,” an anti-narcotics campaign of the Philippine National Police.

Espino said the House of Representatives approved the P900 million additional budget during pre-budget hearing. Espino said they were able to justify the increase in the proposed budget.

“The pre-budget hearing went well the 900 million that was being asked as the additional budget for Oplan Double Barrel Reloaded was amply justified kung san gagamitin to, so the congressmen were convinced, that this is really needed for our operations,” Espino told reporters.

Chief Inspector Christopher Navida, chief of the city intelligence branch of Cebu City Police Office, said the additional budget would serve as morale booster for the operatives.

He said the police are operating at a very tight budget. In Cebu City, police spent P20,000 at the maximum every month for the vehicle rentals and buy-bust money. Despite the financial constraint, however, Navida said they were able to conduct several operations resulting in the arrest of suspected drug personalities.

Based on statistics, CCPO conducted a total of 2,885 operations from July 2015 to August 29, 2017 resulting in the arrest of 4,595 drug personalities and the filing of charges against them.

He said that the added budget will give them additional boosts.

“Siyempre magiging additional morale boost dahil hindi limited and resources,” Navida said.

From July 2016 to June 2017, a total of 997,620 houses have been visited by the police under the Oplan Double Barrel in Central Visayas.

There were also 5,303 operations; 108,621 persons surrendered; 9,177 drug personalities were arrested; and 183 died during police operations. A total of 34,734.33 grams of shabu worth P409,865,094 were confiscated.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto earlier questioned the P900 million additional budget for the antiillegal drug operations. He wanted that the police should be very clear in its explanation on the implementation of the program.

The proposed PNP budget next year is P131.5 billion or P20 billion higher compared P111.8 billion budget this year.