Capitol, partners push for drug-free Cebu, map out measures in summit
VARIOUS stakeholders gathered yesterday for a drug summit organized by the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (CPADAO) at the Grand Convention Center of Cebu.
With the theme “Cebu Province Anti-Drug Alliance: Working Toward a Drug-Free Cebu Summit,” the event was attended by 12 mayors and three vice mayors, Department of Education-Cebu officials, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and police officials, and Department of Interior and Local Government officials.
CPADAO head Carmen Ivy Durano-Meca pointed out the importance of the support of the family and the community in the campaign against illegal drugs.
Meca said the over-all approaches of her office’s anti-illegal drug campaign are supply reduction through intensified efforts of the law enforcement agencies and demand reduction through the support of the community, school and the family.
PDEA 7 Director Yogi Felimon Ruiz, in his speech during the summit, supported Meca’s statements.
“The best fighting unit against drugs is the family and the best tool is the table, (parents) talk to them (children) on the bad effects of drugs over dinner,” said Ruiz.
DILG Assistant Secretary for External and Legislative Affairs Ricojudge Janvier Echiverri, who was the guest speaker, said that the agency has three priorities related to the anti-illegal drug campaign. These are Task Force Agila, drug rehabilitation and Masa Masid.
Task Force Aguila is a means to verify and investigate the list of local officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs, accord- ing to the police.
Complacency
Masa Masid, on the other hand, is the involvement of the community by mobilizing the support of local stakeholders, volunteers, civic organizations and the private sector in the fight against illegal drugs.
“The drug problem, it took years in the making, and it grew this big because of our complacency,” said Ruiz said.
Ruiz said he is following the directive of PDEA Director General Isidro Lapeña to file cases against elected officials who are not supportive of the drug war.
Meanwhile, Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) Director Eric Noble, who was one of the summit speakers, introduced a reformation system for a drugfree Cebu.
Calling the system as D.A.V.I.DE, Noble said it is a process that aims to educate users and pushers about illegal drugs.
D.A., which stands for drug awareness, is implemented through programs like the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (Dare), Oplan Tokhang and Taphang programs, symposium and other PNP operational programs; V.I., or values integration, can be carried out through values education, counseling, moral and spiritual program, and Tama sa Pagbabago.
For D.E., or drug enforcement, Noble said that it will be carried out through Limpyo Probinsya series, internal cleansing and other PNP operational programs.
Noble reported to the participants the CPPO’s accomplish- ments in the fight against illegal drugs.
From July 1 to Nov. 17, 2016, the provincial police force visited a total of 51,088 houses for the Oplan Tokhang program; arrested 378 users and 706 pushers; and there were 65 suspected pushers and four pushers killed in the anti-drug operations.
Noble encouraged the participants to support their local police in the fight against illegal drugs. He also asked them to add him on Facebook so that they can directly report to him any activity involving illegal drugs.
He ended the talk saying, “yung hindi tumutulong, kalaban. (Those who do not help us are enemies).”