[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’ Number of WV drug surrenderers surges ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Thursday, September 7, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=’18’ font_color=” color=”]
ILOILO City – There has been a 215 percent increase in the number of drug surrenderers in Western Visayas after the launching of “Tokhang Reboot” on Aug. 15, according to the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
“Tokhang Reboot” is a supplemental plan to reinforce the terms and provisions of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) antidrug campaign Oplan Double Barrel.
In just 22 days from Aug. 15 to Sept. 4, the PRO-6 recorded 123 surrenderers, way higher than the 39 monthly average numbers of surrenders from March 1 to Aug. 15 this year.
“Under Tokhang Reboot, a lot of drug personalities surrendered and expressed willingness to change their lives by joining our recovery and wellness programs,” said Chief Superintendent Cesar Hawthorne Binag, regional police director.
During a visit to the PRO-6 on Aug. 14 for the 116th anniversary of the police service, PNP’s Director General Ronald Dela Rosa observed, “Mababa ang drug personalities n’yo na nag-surrender or nahuli. Dagdagan nyo pa.”
A total of 1,915 drug personalities have been arrested in Western Visayas since July last year after the launch of Oplan Double Barrel but Dela Rosa was not impressed.
“Step up. We have a lot to do. Double-time,” said Dela Rosa.
According to Binag, his men would focus on 431 newly-identified drug personalities.
Tokhang Reboot sets calculated measures in the conduct of antidrug operations and aims also to earn for the police the public’s trust and confidence.
It has six phases. These are the following:
- collection and validation of information – The collection of information expands to houses, jails, workplaces, schools and other places where drug trade may thrive.
- coordination – covers concerned government agencies and the private sector
- house visitation – shall be done jointly or individually by representatives from the PNP, Department of Interior and Local Government, local antidrug council, church, private sector (youth, business, etc.)
- processing and documentation – surrenders fill out police forms, take oath to stop illegal drug activities, undergo interview
- monitoring and evaluation – police will monitor drug suspects’ progress; appropriate charges will be filed to those who continue their illegal drug activities
- reintegration – among others, the following must be hurdled: drug testing; drug rehabilitation initiated by the Department of Health; no offense committed during probationary period; moral and spiritual intervention / counseling; training with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
