GOAL: DRUG-FREE DINAGYANG?

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BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
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ILOILO City – Marking its 50th anniversary this month, Dinagyang Festival is expected to attract not only tourists but also drug traffickers. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) are on their toes.

There is a “big possibility” that drug syndicates will use new players the authorities are not familiar with, according to  Senior Inspector Kennith Bermejo, chief of PRO-6’s Regional Drug Enforcement Unit.

The police and PDEA agreed to step up antidrug operations at least two weeks before the Dinagyang highlights on Jan. 27 (Kasadyahan cultural contest) and Jan. 28 (ati-ati tribes competition).

While the highlights are still over two weeks away, the city government has lined up a series of festival-related activities that also attract huge crowds such as the Miss Dinagyang beauty pageant on Jan. 20, a Philippine Basketball Association game on Jan. 13, Dinagyang marathon on Jan. 21, Department of Tourism Regional Trade Fair from Jan. 22 to 28, and Dinagyang job fair on Jan. 24, among others.

Bermejo said there could be big PDEA-police operations to keep the Dinagyang Festival drug-free.

Those in their drug watch lists – suspected pushers, runners, couriers – are under “tight watch”, he revealed without identifying them.

The most likely entry points of shabu are the seaports. Bermejo said the Maritime Command – the seaborne unit of the Philippine National Police – has been tasked to guard these ports in coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard.

PDEA regional director Wardley Getalla said they have so far not received reports the big shipments of illegal drugs.

“So far wala pa tayong natatanggap na information about malalaking shabu shipments. Limited pa rin ang present shabu stocks. Pero we continue monitoring. Drug traffickers increasing their shabu supply for the Dinagyang is a possibility,” said Getalla.

He appealed for public help.

“Feed us with information para we can conduct operations kasi hindi sapat ang ating mga tao mag-ikot sa buong Western Visayas,” Getalla explained.

PDEA-6 lacks personnel. In an interview two months ago, Getalla said his regional office only had 32 people.

“(But) despite our limited number of personnel marami pa tayong magagawa para mabigyan ng magandang laban ang droga,” he told this paper.

The regional office is currently recruiting personnel.

“Sana mabigyan tayo ng new recruits from the PDEA Academy para may sapat tayong tao,” said Getalla./PN
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