Cops net P59.1-M in drugs in 2021

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – A total of P59,102,241.42 worth of illegal drugs here and in Negros Occidental were seized by police from January to December 2021.

For Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo), 5,447.01 grams of suspected shabu worth P37,039,697.92, and 268.05 grams of suspected marijuana worth P32,165.52 were confiscated.

Police Lieutenant Abegael Donasco, public information officer of Nocppo, said that 1,485 cases were filed against 821 persons who were arrested in 638 anti-illegal drug operations in the province.

In a virtual press briefing on Tuesday, Donasco said that only two out of six identified drug groups are still operating in the province, since the four others were already neutralized.

Donasco said the two drug groups were reported lying in the northern part of the province, while others were believed to have come from Manila.

“What’s important is that we’re trying our best na mabawasan and maubos iyong drug supply dito,” Donasco said.

She noted that police may also have some lapses, but they’re doing their jobs to lessen the drug problem in the province.

“We’re still a work in progress,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), reported that about 3,566.76 grams of illegal drugs worth P22,030,377.98 were seized last year.

The city police force also arrested 750 drug personalities, including 23 high value individuals (HVI), 711 street level individuals (SLI), and 13 minors and other newly-identified drug personalities from its 561 police operations.

A total of 1,080 cases were filed in court here.

In the campaign against wanted persons, BCPO conducted 609 police operations that yielded 111 Most Wanted Persons (MWP) and 498 Other Wanted Persons charged with various offenses.

For the campaign against loose firearms, 161 police operations resulted in the arrest of 22 violators and confiscation of 25 small and homemade firearms.

In the continuous information drive of the PNP’s program “Oplan Katok” on annual verification of firearms, a total of 103 homemade and small firearms, and explosives were surrendered, and 34 firearms were deposited to the BCPO, while 10 others were recovered and turned-over to the police authorities.

In the campaign against all forms of illegal gambling, BCPO made a total of 202 police operations, and apprehended 202 violators, while a total bet money amounting to P57,727 was confiscated during the said operations.

Police Colonel Thomas Joseph Martir, who recently officially assumed as full-pledged BCPO director, commended the personnel for the overwhelming accomplishments in the past year.

The relentless effort through police-initiated operations once again proved successful in the fight to lessen criminality, Martir said in a statement.

Martir has vowed to give the Bacolodnons a better police service especially in the coming elections.

As the BCPO braces for the May 2022 national and local elections, more committed and intensified police operations are being readied to make the electoral exercise orderly and peaceful, the BCPO director said.