BARANGAY officials and local executives play a vital role in the police-initiated recovery and wellness program (RWP) for drug surrenders.
Chief Superintendent Rhodel Sermonia, director of Police Community Relations Group (PCRG), who was in Bacolod City Friday for the cascading of RWP at the MassKara Hall of Government Center, told all police chiefs in the city and Negros Occidental to stop owning the problem on drug menace, and instead reach out the local government units (LGUs).
Sermonia, in a report of Aksyon Radyo Bacolod, said that local executives should take lead in all public services while police and other concerned government agencies assist them.
"It cannot be done or solved by a single agency or the government alone," he said, adding that working together and collaborating with partners will make the program successful.
Sermonia said drug personalities were identified through the help of barangay officials, particularly village chiefs, hence, they have a responsibility to provide information to the authorities.
Sermonia said more than 1.3 million drug personalities nationwide have voluntarily surrendered to the authorities through Oplan Tokhang, something that never had happened in the history of the Philippines or other countries.
"Our program here is aimed at making them (drug surrenderers) better individuals," Sermonia said. But, we can only do that if we coordinate with the LGUs, village officials, and different sectors of the community, stakeholders, religious groups, and other organizations.
Sermonia also said that police should also focus on police-community relations so that the community will trust their actions and programs.
"It is also very important to establish a good rapport with the community," he added.
Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Castil Jr., director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo), and Senior Superintendent Francisco Ebreo, acting director of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), and representatives from the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Work and Development (DSWD), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) also attended the activity yesterday.*
