THE Police Regional Office (PRO)-Central Visayas and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement on Wednesday, July 12, that Cebu is a “drug hot spot” was correct.
PRO-Central Visayas Director Noli Taliño said he agrees with the President’s statement.
"Dito nga nag-umpisa yung big-time drug lords dito sa Central Visayas tapos naghiwa-hiwalay lang sila (The big-time drug lords started here in Central Visayas and they split altogether)," Taliño said.
For his part, PDEA-Central Visayas Director Yogi Filemon Ruiz said Duterte's declaration is correct.
"The President has access to more information than us. We concur with the President that there is a drug problem in Cebu, so we take his declaration as a guide on how we can more effectively fulfill our mandate as the lead agency in the campaign against illegal drugs,” he said.
Suspected drug lords Jeffrey Diaz and Rowen Secretaria were killed in separate police operations last year. Danao City-based alleged drug lord Alvaro “Barok” Alvaro surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation in Bohol.
Diaz started his operations in Cebu allegedly in cahoots with Eastern Visayas drug kingpin Kerwin Espinosa, who is now in police custody.
The two parted ways after they had a fight, forcing Espinosa to transfer his operations in Leyte.
Taliño said they are monitoring police officers and village officials who are reportedly involved in the drug trade.
Last July 5, PDEA agents caught Malabago, Badian Barangay Captain Epifania Alvizo and seized P1.5 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu.”
Two days later, police arrested San Fernando Councilors Johnny Arriesgado, Edwin Villaver, and Alfonso Donaire IV. Taliño tagged them as drug protectors. (KAL/VoxPop Cebu)
