PRO 7 chief: 1st week of Oplan Tokhang successful

For a top police official in Central Visayas, the new Oplan Tokhang guidelines proved to be successful as the police persuaded 79 suspected drug personalities to surrender to authorities without any blood being shed in the first week of the operation.

“This is a good sign that showed that there are still those who surrender and heeded our plea. For them to reform themselves so that they won’t be addicted to illegal drugs anymore,” said Chief Supt. Robert Quenery, director of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7.

The PRO 7 conducted 153 Oplan Tokhang operations in Central Visayas where they knocked on doors of suspected drug personalities to ask them to give up the drug use or trade.

Drug watchlist

Out of the 79 who submitted themselves to authorities for profiling, 48 of them were on the drugs watchlist of the police, while 31 others were identified as new players.

“It’s because of the safeguards that are being implemented. That include the multi- sectoral approach together with the barangay officials, the media and the other stakeholders,” said Quenery.

With its new guidelines, Quenery hopes suspected drug personalities will go back to the folds of the law.

Under the new program guidelines, police officers can only conduct Oplan Tokhang on weekdays from 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. They must also be accompanied by a barangay official, among others.

The PRO 7 has 978 personalities under its Directorate for Intelligence (DI) watchlist in the entire Central Visayas. /