Serious problem

In a sweeping move, all members of the Talisay City Police Station were relieved from their posts following the recent pronouncement by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte accusing them of being involved in illegal drugs.

Except for Superintendent Marlu Conag, chief of Talisay Police Station, all the 65 members of the station were removed by Camp Crame, according to Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, the director of Police Regional Office-7.

Replacing the relieved policemen were a 70-man team from the Regional Public Safety Battalion headed by Chief Inspector Ardioleto Cabagnot and a 10-man team from the Cebu Provincial Police Office.

Cabagnot, who will be Conag’s deputy, said their new assignment is a big challenge given the fact that, aside from unfamiliarity with the place and its residents, many of those deployed in Talisay City have no experience in handling a police station.

It cannot be denied that Talisay City has long been notorious for being a haven for illegal drugs. Even before Duterte has tagged the city policemen as drug protectors, there are already allegations that some of them were involved in the illegal trade.

Many, especially the city residents, have wondered why the illegal drug trade continues to be a serious problem in the city despite the intensified campaign against it as ordered by the local government and the police leadership.

Two years ago, Mayor Eduardo Gullas warned drug lords to get out of Talisay City and challenged the police to solve the city’s drug problem. Although the police had scored big in their operations, it seems the illegal drug trade is a tough nut to crack because the menace remains a major concern in the city, just like in the neighboring areas such as Cebu City.

Yes, the city government did not lack the resources in its support for the police in the drive against illegal drugs. The president’s recent pronouncement and the relief of the city’s police force should serve as a wakeup call that he really means business in the war on drugs.