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[av_heading heading=’ DSWD: Minors among drug surrenderees’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY JUN AGUIRRE
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BORACAY – Minors were among the suspected drug users and/or pushers in Western Visayas who surrendered to the police in line with Oplan Double Barrel, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Oplan Double Barrel was the Philippine National Police’s intensified antidrug campaign.
Its first stage — Oplan Tokhang, or “knock and appeal” — involved officers visiting identified drug personalities and urging them to stop using and/or trafficking drugs or risk getting subjected to more aggressive operations.
If a social worker for the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council, an attached agency of the DSWD, were to be believed, around 432 minors in Region 6 have turned themselves in to the police as part of Oplan Tokhang.
The DSWD was alarmed, Katherine Joy Lamprea told the agency’s recent year-end forum in this island resort.
Lamprea said the Social Welfare department gathered the data from July 1 (when Oplan Double Barrel started) to Nov. 31.
“The DSWD is studying how we could provide livelihood assistance to the families of the (surrendering) minors,” she said. “We are also looking into the factors why these children were involved in illegal drugs.”
Lamprea was unable to provide further details.
In previous months, those who surrendered as part of Oplan Double Barrel were made to sign an affidavit of undertaking promising to stop engaging in the drug trade.
Police said those who surrendered may not be detained unless they were caught in possession of illegal drugs./PN
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