Presiding over a meeting of the Provincial Peace and
Order Council (PPOC) at the old provincial capitol here, Umali called on Jeoffrey
Tacio, PDEA regional director, to once and for all identify the biggest drug
pushers and traffickers in the province.
He
said that the PDEA should likewise provide
classified information on the possible involvement of public officials and
policemen in the illegal drugs trade.
The
meeting was attended by officials of various government agencies involved in
law enforcement among them the Department of the Interior and Local
Governments, the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Army, the Department
of Justice and others.
Also
involved in the discussions were DILG Region 3 director Florida Dijan, DILG assistant regional
director and concurrent provincial director, Dr. Abraham Pascua, Army Col.
Felimon Santos, commander of the 703rd Infantry Brigade and police
deputy provincial director for operations, Superintendent Bernie Orig
representing provincial police director Senior Superintendent Crizaldo Nieves
who is on official mission abroad.
Umali
issued the challenge shortly after Tacio presented the accomplishment report of
the PDEA during the first semester of 2014.
In
his report, Tacio,a member of the PPOC, cited they have conducted 233
operations against illegal drugs and arrested 322 persons and seized 532 grams
of metamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu and 9,550 grams of marijuana and filed
226 cases in court.
Of
those arrested, 173 were pushers and 92 were possessors. Of the 233 operations,
176 were carried out during buy-bust and the rest through search warrants, checkpoints among
others.
Tacio
said for the period covered, Cabanatuan recorded
the highest number of drug-affected barangays with 13 followed by Sta. Rosa, San Jose City
He
said the agency is employing a three-pronged strategy of conducting joint
intelligence workshop, the neutralization of drug personalities and the close
monitoring of clandestine laboratories, suspected drug dens and shabu tiangge.
Umali
said that while the PDEA is doing its job of neutralizing drug personalities in
the province, it would be to the best interest of the public if it would
identify the biggest drug pushers involved.
“You need to name names. Identify the biggest
drug pusher. And are there public officials and policemen involved? And is
there any clandestine laboratory in
Nueva Ecija?,” he said.
He
said if the agency could not release the names, then its intelligence build-up
would amount to nothing.
“And
if you could not give us hard facts on illegal drugs, how can we possibly
provide you with the needed support to solve the drug menace?,” he said.
Tacio
did not publicly respond to the governor’s dare. But when pressed by newsmen,
he said five politicians and between five to 10 law enforcers were involved in
the illegal drugs trade.
He
said, though that he could not yet disclose the names of those involved because
the information they gathered is still being validated.
Umali
also expressed concern that this city, Nueva Ecija’s urban and commercial
center, has emerged as the drug capital of the province thus, disturbing its climate
of peace.
He said he found
it disappointing that while he heads the RPOC, disturbing peace and order
problems need to be addressed in his province. “How can you talk peace in the
entire region when in the province where I belong I can’t give peace?,” he
said.
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