WV’s illegal drugs situation ‘not quite alarming’ – PRO-6

By Jennifer P. Rendon

In just a week, different units of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 confiscated more than 7.2 kilograms of suspected shabu.

This is a far cry from several grams of crystal meth seized several years back. Could this be a reason for the public to get alarmed?

“No,” said Brigadier General Sidney Villaflor, Western Visayas police chief.

Villaflor said the “situation is not quite alarming. Western Visayas is only one of the transshipment areas nationwide, as we have 37 seaports, piers, and wharves, some of which are local government unit (LGU)-owned and operated.”

He also cited the many airports in Western Visayas.

PRO-6 records showed that 60 anti-illegal drug operations were conducted during PRO-6’s Birada Semana (Dec. 11 to 17).

Birada Semana is a weeklong enhanced managing police operations (E-MPO) and focused police operation on anti-criminality, wanted persons, illegal drugs, and illegal gambling.

These operations led to the recovery of 7.202 kilograms valued at P48,973,600.

Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) mounted the most number of operations with 28 while Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) had 12 and Iloilo City PO conducted 8 operations.

The Iloilo PPO only conducted only 3 operations while Capiz PPO, Guimaras PPO, Antique PPO and Aklan PPO had two operations each.

The Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU) 6 conducted one operation but it was the highest-yielding one.

RPDEU-6 operatives arrested a 29-year-old woman in Janiuay, Iloilo morning of Dec. 17.

Miklyn Acosta yielded around 6 kilograms valued at P40,800,000.

Last November 9, a couple who was arrested in Jaro, Iloilo City yielded 3 kilos of shabu worth P20,400,000.

Villaflor said that the region’s police are doing everything they could to thwart the spread of illegal drugs.

“Pero nakakahuli lang kami pagdating sa lupa. hindi naman namin mandato ang mag bantay ng pier, mangharang o mag-inspection sa mga barko, inspection sa airport,” he earlier said.

This is the reason why PRO-6 has led the crafting of a resolution on behalf of other members of the Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Council (RLECC).

RLECC-6 Resolution No. 1, Series of 2023 is entitled, “Resolution Enjoining all Entities Owning and Managing Seaports and Wharves to Strengthen the Security Through Installation and Maintenance of Operational X-ray Screening Machines/Devices and Conduct of Sustained Panelling of K-9 (narcotics sniffing dogs) and Deployment of Additional PCG and PPA Personnel to All Seaports and wharves, and the Conduct of Other Activities/Operations to be Aggressively and Sustainably Undertaken by RLECC-6 Member Agencies to Address the Proliferation of Illegal Drugs in Western Visayas.”

The resolution cited the need for the whole-of-government approach to address maritime security challenges in the Philippines in terms of transshipment of illegal drugs, particularly in Western Visayas.

“That’s why, PRO-6 is zealously exhorting the 18 other government agencies that are members of the Regional Law Enforcement Coordination Committee 6 (RLECC-6), especially PDEA, PCG, PPA, CAAP, BOC, BIR, BFAR, DA  and others to actively participate in the interdiction of illicit drugs in seaports & airports, as such, a “Call To Action” had been adopted/ approved by the majority members of RLECC-6,” he said.

But it was gathered that only four agencies, apart from PRO-6, have signed the resolution.