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[av_heading tag=’h3′ padding=’10’ heading=’ 600 names in Iloilo ‘Tokhang’ drop boxes ‘ color=” style=’blockquote modern-quote’ custom_font=” size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ custom_class=”]
BY RUBY SILUBRICO
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Sunday, September 17, 2017
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ILOILO City – Police in Iloilo province are validating around 600 names of suspected drug personalities written on notes dropped in boxes at police stations.
Making drop boxes where the public can discreetly put names of drug personalities for the police to target is part of the rebooted Oplan Double Barrel, the government’s antidrug campaign.
The Iloilo Police Provincial Office will not operate against those whose names were placed in the drop boxes until it has verified their involvement in illegal drugs.
A thorough investigation is in order, according to Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, provincial police director.
“We are not yet sure if the people whose names were placed in the drop boxes are really engaged in drug trafficking,” Tayaba stressed.
Earlier, the Police Regional Office 6 directed all police stations to make such drop boxes.
Only the chiefs of police can open the drop boxes and read the notes inside, according to Chief Superintendent Cesar Hawthorne Binag, regional police director.
He assured the public that this strategy will not be abused and has safeguards.
“All the sensitive information will be validated,” Binag said in August. “There will be thorough counterchecking.”
Philippine National Police chief Ronald Dela Rosa prodded them to work harder in the antidrug campaign, Binag said.
A total of 20,598 drug personalities in Region 6 were arrested or have surrendered since the campaign started in August last year.
Binag said the new strategy is their way to increase their arrests.
“Mayroong mga takot na malaman na sila nagbigay ng information sa pulis,” the regional police director said. “The drop boxes will make them open up with what they know about the activities of their neighbors.”
Drop boxes were placed at municipal police stations. Even Maasin, Bingawan and Alimodian – towns that have been declared “drug-cleared” – were not spared.
“We expect more names in our drop boxes,” said Tayaba.
Once the information from the “we will knock (toktok) and appeal (hangyo) to the drug personalities to surrender,” Binag had said.
Tokhang, which Oplan Double Barrel is more commonly known, is a play on these two Visayan words./PN
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