Intensify anti-drug ops, mayor tells police

By John Noel E. Herrera 

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas urged the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) to intensify its anti-illegal drug operations as speculations rose that the use and business of illegal drugs were back again in the city.

“Una sa drugs gid, hindi ko gusto nga sulpot-sulpot bala, gusto ko sige-sige. Basta ang importante nga magtawhay ang syudad,” Treñas said in a press conference on Monday, Jan 30, 2023.

“Ang focus gid naton anti-drugs campaign. Nakita ta amat-amat naman saka ang cases sang mga drug-related (activities). Amo na nga we are calling the police to step up para matapna ni ang halit sa sosyudad ta nga droga,” he added.

Treñas also emphasized that the city government has been supportive of the needs of the police personnel just to ensure the safety of the public, and he needed to see and feel the result from the ICPO.

“Ang presence sang pulis (should be visible), may pito pa ta bala ka patrol cars nga inug-abot. Kita gabakal sang patrol cars, pero di ko makit-an sa dalan. Gusto ko makit-an kay ti kung kamo magpuli kamo, te daw safe man inyo pamatyag,” he added.

The city government allocates a minimum of P50 million to the city police annually for their police patrol cars, firearms and ammunition, among others.

Treñas added that the ICPO is continuously conducting anti-drug operations, and they have deployed a lot of plainclothes police personnel to different barangays in the city to monitor illegal activities.

“Sige-sige man aton operations, and gusto ko lang ipabalo nga kadamo sang aton plainclothes subong nga ginapasulod sa lain-lain nga barangay, kay ti kung naka-uniform ang personnel, ti kabalo man dayon ang aton nga mga drug personality,” he said.

For the past weeks, Iloilo City has recorded numerous drug bust operations, including the one in Bakhaw, Mandurriao, which was previously considered as the city’s drug haven.

At around 11 p.m. of Jan 25, members of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU)-6 and ICPO Station 5 arrested 32 persons – three high-value targets and 29 drug den visitors – and seized 135 grams of suspected shabu worth P918,000.

The incident also prompted Treñas to request the relief of then ICPO director Col. Leo Batiles.

“He was doing okay, until such time nga daw kita ta, may mga bar incidents, ang sa Bakhaw incident (drug bust), and I am surprised that he lives in Bakhaw, pinakadako nga drug haul tapos ara siya da gali ga-istar,” Treñas said.

Col. Batiles was replaced by Col. Joeresthy Coronica who, just like most police commanders, has set his sights on the illegal drug problem, saying that he will reinvigorate the campaign against illegal drugs.

“We should be united in this fight so that we will no longer go back to the dark chapters of our history in as far as illegal drug activities are concerned in the region and in the city of Iloilo,” Coronica said.

Meanwhile, seven job-hire employees of Iloilo City Government also tested positive for illegal drug use after they were subjected to a series of random tests.

Treñas also said that they will be automatically removed from their work and will be required to report to the authorities for further investigation.

The city mayor earlier issued Executive Order No. 05-2023, requiring all job hires and contract of service (CoS) workers to undergo random drug testing, and those who will test positive shall be subjected to disciplinary/administrative proceedings, including, but not limited to, termination of contract, and those provided by the law.