PDEA-6 & PRO-6 Advocacy

Hole of Justice

By Peter G. Jimenea

The PDEA-6 and PRO-6 advocacy

The successive arrest of notorious drug-pushers in Iloilo City, is a laudable move by the combined team of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-6) led by RD Paul Ledesma and the Police Regional Office (PRO6) under the leadership of Director C/Supt. Cipriano Querol, Jr.

Barangays affected by illegal drugs in PDEA6 watch-lists are now under control of our watchful law enforcers. By order of the hard-working PRO-6 Dir. Querol, the PNP has established a monitoring center in every city barangay identified to have the problem.

A good thing for PDEA-6 is having its own Legal Officer, Atty. Ronnie Delicana, who assists the composite team of operatives during raids, for the legal and procedural inventory of confiscated items in the presence of prosecutor, barangay officials, media and other watching bystanders.

We also noticed that judges and prosecutors are now cooperating with our law enforcers on how to get rid of this lingering menace of society. They even join in the conducting of seminars to operatives on how to carry out successful arrests without consequences in the filing of cases.

Beside which, PRO6 Dir. Querol is going with the operatives during raids which resulted to a dedicated police service and those of the task-force created to contain if not to get rid of the proliferation of illegal drugs. This gives a strong signal to drug-pushers that their days are numbered unless they stop their illegal activities.

The nice thing about the operation of the present cream of the crop of law enforcers is the cooperation of the PNP-6 Crime Laboratory which renders on time report about the requested inventory of confiscated evidence to facilitate the immediate filing of cases against violators.

We also witnessed the destruction of illegal items by PDEA-6 at Camp Delgado without waiting to file up at the PNP-6 Crime Lab. This is done in the presence of the judiciary, the media, prosecutors, NGOs, LGUs, lawyers of the accused and many other witnesses.

Data obtained from the office of PDEA-6 revealed that operations and arrests conducted by composite operatives in 2010 is lower than 2009. But the seized drugs are four times higher than the previous year.

This connotes that our drug-enforcers are now concentrating on high-value-targets rather than street-level personalities. This is the reason why notorious drug personalities have changed their target market from the city to the neighboring municipalities.

It is widely believed that the badly affected barangays about drug problems like Tanza-Esperanza, Malipayon, Bakhaw, Samparados and few others are now running out of business as stuffs are becoming scarce due to the non-stop raid of PDEA-6 operatives and the presence of the task-force monitoring cops in the area.

Other than buy-bust and raid operations, PDEA-6 also concentrates on demand-reduction strategy. This, by conducting symposium, awareness and information campaign about the menace of illegal drugs to society.

This demand reduction strategy of RD Ledesma with Atty. Delicana conducted among LGUs, schools, groups, or in any organization is now getting good results. Aside from that, they also take time to sit with this writer on a television program for information dissemination as to what eventually happens to people hooked on drugs.

Not to be left behind in this advocacy for a drug-free society is PRO6 Director, C/Supt. Querol. He is keen on organizing the barangay peace-keeping action team (BPAT) to augment the undermanned police force in maintaining peace and security in their area of concern.

To bring the police closer to the people, Director Querol sponsored the “PRO6 Hour,” in the block-time television program Kape kag Isyu over Sky Cable TV every first Saturday of the month. Replays are Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8:00-9:00 in the evening.

Well, congratulations to RD Ledesma, Atty. Delicana and the entire force of PDEA-6 for the job well done. Also to PIO, Supt. Ranulfo Demiar; Supt. Marietto Valerio, the Iloilo City Police Director, and Supt. Ren Darroca for guesting in “PRO6 Hour” in behalf of Director, C/Supt. Querol.