Councilor hits ‘dubious’ timing of ‘Tokhang’ on brgy execs

Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, who also sits as chairman of the Police Advisory Council, has questioned the Philippine National Police’s plan to conduct Oplan Tokhang on barangay officials, who were publicly identified as being involved in the illegal trade.

With only 10 days left before the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, the councilor said he finds the timing “dubious.”

“Makaingon ta ba nga dili maayo ang timing. If they want to visit good but they have to file a case, wala gyud ko’y problema ana as long as they can back up with their allegation, substantive ba. It can stand in court,” he told reporters.

PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde recently announced the plan following the narco list made publicly by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) last Monday.

Albayalde said the 207 barangay officials in the PDEA list are not exempted from Tokhang operations.

Tokhang, which means knock and plead in Cebuano, is the police operation where lawmen visit the houses of drug suspects and ask them to stop their illegal activities and reform.

But Albayalde said the Oplan Tokhang on barangay officials is one of their options.

“That’s one option. We can visit them since they are in the watchlist,” he said in a Philstar report.

Garganera said the authorities should have done the operation during the suspension of elections.

The barangay and SK elections, which were postponed twice in a row in May 2016 and October 2017, are scheduled for May 14 this year.

However, the PNP’s plan sits well with Councilor David Tumulak, deputy mayor for police matters and City Council’s committee chairman on public order and safety.

“Mas maayo na. Uyon ta ining initiatiba nga himoon sa PNP para sa ingon ang atong mga botante ma-aware pud sila, mahatagan sab og kahigayunan nga magbag-o sad kadtong mga kandidato,” he said.

Unlike Garganera, Tumulak has no problem with the timing of the mulled Tokhang on local officials linked to illegal drugs.

Tumulak came to PNP’s defense, saying the police have a lot of duties aside from curbing illegal drugs.

“Dili man (suspicious). Kahibawo man sila daan nga daghan kay og activity ang kapulisan ug naa diha’y klaro gyud nga nahiapil sa ilang listahan kinahanglan ipahigayon dayon ang pakisusi sa kapulisan,” he said.