MALITA, Davao Occidental —The 1,208 drug personalities surrendered to the authorities here on Wednesday after the local government campaign to turn Davao Occidental into a drug- free province.
Gov. Claude Bautista gave a warning to those drug personalities under the list of the Malita Municipal Police Station who have yet to surrender to the authorities.
Authorities have a total list of 1,335 drug personalities under 30 barangays in Malita, 127 of them have yet to submit themselves to the authorities.
Bautista said that he intends to make his province drug-free come March this year and threatened those who refused to surrender against the full force of the law.
“I am undertaking this personally. I know almost all of them,” he said. “If they refuse to surrender and they will be my only problem here “buhay-buhay lang yan.”
The governor said if drug personalities resist arrest, “your birthday will be changed to Nov. 2.”
Bautista explained he is taking the drug problem in his province seriously to help the campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte, who asked him to help in the government’s war against narcotics.
Since last week, the authorities have been conducting drug tests on known drug personalities of the different towns of Davao Occidental.
The provincial government launched the campaign in Sta. Maria where thousands of drug personalities submitted themselves for testing.
Bautista said that those who will submit themselves will have the chance to clear their names and live a normal life after it.
“If they will surrender, they will have the chance to clean their names but if we update them and they still test positive, we will apply the law,” he said.
He added that erring barangay officials who were under the drug list of the PNP also underwent through the surprise drug test.
Malita Vice Mayor Joseph Bautista said that they will be providing livelihood assistance to drug personalities to encourage them not to return to their illegal activities.
“We can help them through livelihood assistance and we will give our full support to the projects and campaign of the provincial and national government,” he said.