The government’s crackdown against suspected drug dealers and other criminal elements in the country led to the arrest of 649 individuals in simultaneous overnight operations in southern Metro Manila.
This developed as Local Governments Undersecretary Martin Diño said Saturday the department plans to draft a memorandum requiring all incumbent barangay captains and councilors to join police operations against illegal drugs.
Southern Police District director Tomas Apolinario Jr. said the latest operation, conducted late on May 8 until dawn of May 9, also resulted in the arrest of 81 persons allegedly engaged in drug dealing and its use, and 15 others who have standing warrants of arrest.
The SPD operatives also confiscated 77 sachets of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, two sachets of marijuana leaves, two improvised firearms, and 103 motorcycles used in criminal activities during the operation.
“This is part of our Simultaneous Anti-Criminality Law Enforcement Operation or SACLEO. The operation was made possible and is regularly being conducted through the concerted efforts of the different units of SPD on the ground,” said Apolinario.
SPD spokesperson Supt. Jenny Tecson said SACLEO aim to intensify the reduction of crime incidents in the areas identified by authorities as critical.
It is also part of a crackdown on notorious criminals by focusing on the serving of warrant of arrest and search warrants, apprehension and recovery of unregistered or undocumented motorcycles, operations against illegal drugs, illegal gambling and violation of City Ordinances, she added.
“Apprehended persons with standing warrant of arrests shall be turned over to the court of origin. Other arrested persons will be subjected to inquest proceedings while recovered items will be brought to the respective stations for proper disposition,” said Tecson.
Apolinario said the SACLEO operations for the past weeks “gained positive results” that “favorably contributed” to the decline of crimes in south Metro Manila.
The initiative is another example of how the National Police and its personnel maximize its potential and exerts all efforts to reduce if not totally stop criminality, not only in the SPD area of responsibility but the whole Metro Manila, he added.
Meanwhile, Diño said the Department of the Interior and Local Government memorandum would prompt barangay officials to either join police anti-drug operations and place this in their Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils record or face punishment, especially if they are found to be involved with illegal drugs.
“It’s the obligation of all barangay captains and their kagawads to join police or PDEA [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency] operations and sign that in their BADAC logs,” said Diño, a former village chief himself, at a forum in Quezon City.
Barangay officials could be sued for falsification of public documents if the DILG and the Philippine National Police find out about the illegal drug activities that are not listed in their BADAC, Diño added.
On May 9, elements of the SPD drug enforcement unit and Taguig Police Station also conducted a buy-bust operation in Barangay New Lower Bicutan and arrested five suspected drug dealers.
Case officer SPO1 Darwin Allas identified the suspects as Datumama Laguialali, 52; Khomie Bandong, 39; Tho Salik, 36; Rakma Usman, 48, and 17-year-old Abdul Malik Mama, all residents of Maguindanao Extension, Purok 2, Barangay New Lower Bicutan.
Recovered from the suspects were 43 grams or eight pieces of heat sealed transparent plastic containing shabu worth P215,000 and paraphernalia, one digital weighing scale; five pieces of P1,000 buy-bust money, and one Colt .45-cal pistol loaded with six live ammunition.
The suspects are now detained at Taguig City police jail and were charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 and Omnibus Election Code (gun ban) before the city prosecutors office.
Metro Manila police director Camilo Cascolan commended Apolinario and all SPD operatives for a job well and acknowledged the cooperation, alertness and vigilance of the people in the community.
He assured that the operation will continue in line with the directives and guidance of newly appointed National Police chief Oscar Albayalde.
The National Capital Region Police Office is also conducting the anti-drug campaign dubbed “Operation Tokhang” in all community and villages in Metro Manila to promote awareness on illegal drugs and to convince suspected illegal drug personalities to submit themselves to the authorities.
Tokhang (“toktok-hangyo” or knock and plead) mandates police station commanders to ask the barangay captains to submit a list of residents known to be into illegal drugs, including pushers, dealers, users and couriers.
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