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BY RUBY SILUBRICO
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Tuesday, March 7, 2017
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ILOILO City – Only “clean” police officers may work on the renewed antidrug campaign of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Officers in “Double Barrel Reload” must be younger and without derogatory record, said Superintendent Gilbert Gorero, spokesperson for the Police Regional Office 6.
“All members were being screened to ensure they have no derogatory record,” Gorero stressed.
President Rodrigo Duterte has again allowed the police to actively engage in antidrug operations just weeks after suspending the “drug war” in light of controversies involving scalawag officers.
This allowed for the creation of renewed antidrug police teams.
However, “Double Barrel Reload” — a new version of Oplan Double Barrel that saw thousands of drug suspects killed across the country — involves more than just “clean” and younger operatives.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) remains the lead law enforcement body when it comes to drug use and trafficking, and all antidrug operations of the police must be properly coordinated with them, said Gorero.
Only members of police Drug Enforcement Units may conduct the operations, and they should be accompanied by unit commanders or police chiefs, and work with barangay officials and church leaders.
Administrative charges await officers who will fail to do these, Gorero stressed.
Meanwhile PDEA assistant regional director Levi Ortiz welcomed Duterte’s decision.
He hopes police involvement will lead to more arrests and seizures of prohibited drugs.
“Kung PDEA lang hindi namin kaya manghuli ng marami kasi talagang kulang kami ng tao,” said Ortiz. “We need the help of the PNP, and we are happy na naging partner natin sila muli.”
Ortiz said they are already planning their operations with the regional and provincial police’s Drug Enforcement Units./PN
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