THE top cop in Negros Occidental has debunked reports that the drug situation here is alarming, stressing that the province is not even a supplier, but just a gateway of the illegal contraband.
Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Castil Jr., provincial director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo), Wednesday, March 14, presented the illegal drugs situation in the province before the members of the Provincial Board.
Castil said the illegal drug problem in an area can be considered alarming when "pot sessions" are visible anywhere and crimes relative to drugs are already severe.
"It is not alarming contrary to what they said earlier that we are the supplier of drugs to other provinces," he said, stressing that illegal drug supply only passes through Negros Occidental.
In February this year, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Western Visayas reported that the problem of illegal drugs in Negros Occidental and its capital Bacolod City is more "alarming" compared to that in Panay Island.
The agency attributed it to the number of drug dens dismantled and big volume of dangerous drugs seized in the anti-illegal drug operations in the province.
Just last week, PDEA Director Elyvenson Plaza confirmed that all 61 barangays in Bacolod are drug-affected.
But for Nocppo, these illegal drugs either sourced from Muntinlupa, Cebu or Mindanao are just being transported through the province to various outside-points.
"We do not want to compare Negros Occidental with Iloilo. Our concern is only ours, let us not intervene on what Iloilo has," Castil noted.
Pathways, top localities
In its report, Nocppo said that drugs sourced from Cebu pass through cities of San Carlos and Escalante.
Those from Mindanao enters Bais City in Negros Oriental to Kabankalan City towards other points in the province.
Topping the list of localities in Negros Occidental as far as illegal drug problem in concerned is Silay City, Hinigaran, and San Carlos City.
This is based on the suspects that the local police have arrested, Castil said.
Castil explained that Silay is near from Bacolod while Hinigaran hosts known personalities. San Carlos is also in the list mainly because of huge drug haul there recently.
"Dirty white looking shabu comes from Mindanao while those clearer (crystal) are from Muntinlupa or Cebu," he told the SP members led by Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson.
Circulation
Based on the Nocppo report, the estimated circulation of illegal drugs in the province is five kilograms, which is pegged at about P50 million.
After the resumption of Oplan Tokhang in January this year, the average circulation, as well as apprehension and confiscation of illegal drugs, had increased, Castil said.
"After President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the resumption of operation against illegal drugs, some of our previous targets have again surfaced," he added.
As of 2017, drug supply intercepted in the province reached almost 1.79 kilograms.
Of the figure, some .931 kilograms were seized at Dumangas Port in Iloilo.
The remaining .593 kilograms and .263 kilograms were seized at San Carlos City Port and Silay City through a courier service company, respectively.
Dismissed cases
The Nocppo head also reported that of more than 100 cases filed before the Prosecutor's Office, about 63 cases were dismissed.
Most of these cases are in Binalbagan, Hinigaran and Himamaylan City.
Castil told reporters that some chiefs of police in the province are complaining about "non-appearance" of the fiscal that contributed to the dismissal of the case.
He refused to disclose the name of the provincial prosecutor. "You ask our chiefs of police there," he told reporters.
The police have been warned that if cases are junked due to their lapses "they might be the one who will be dismissed from service, something they are afraid of," Castil said.
Watchlist, accomplishments
The police here recorded a total of 901 watchlisted drug personalities.
Of which, there are only 694 remaining names in the watchlist. Others were already arrested or surrendered.
The report further showed that the number of surrendered pushers from 2016 to 2017 reached 1,189.
Arrested pushers before the Oplan Tokhang, from 2015 to the first semester of 2016, were 395.
During the Tokhang, from the second semester of 2016 to 2017, the figure went up to 562.
The number of those who surrendered and arrested forms part of the total 1,948 drug users. The remaining 197 represent those in the watchlist.
Surrendered users were accounted at 11,025 from October 2016 to December 2017.
Arrested before the Tokhang was 300, which increased to 454 during the implementation period of intensified war against drugs.
In terms of illegal drugs seized before the Oplan Tokhang, the provincial police recorded 1.125 kilograms.
It increased to 3.336 kilos during the operation, the report added.
Castil said most of the drug lords are now in Luzon and Mindanao, not in the Visayas.
He said the police are not discounting the possibility that there are those who might enter the province given the huge value of illegal drugs proliferating here.
"Included in the watchlist are local officials and even police personnel," Castil hinted, adding that full presentation of Nocppo's illegal drug status report will be on March 20 during the Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting.
