The decision of the anti-illegal drugs agency to quit operations in Bohol has shocked officials of the province, prompting Gov. Edgar M. Chatto to send a letter to higher authorities asking for reconsideration of the agency's decision. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the country's main agency tasked to curb the proliferation of illegal drugs, is slated to abandon Bohol and head for Cebu, PDEA officer Ma. Chona Egam told the Bohol Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) in a recent meeting.  PDEA's decision to leave Bohol has fanned speculations that the problem on illegal drugs in the province has become unmanageable than in the previous years. Worse, there were speculations that “drug lords” could have made contacts with the top brass in the agency and prodded officials to put Bohol out of their anti-drug campaign.

 The prevalence of illegal drugs in the province, source of which comes from Mindanao and Cebu, is apparently indicated with the number of raids and arrests conducted by the police and with the cases filed in court.  Police Senior Superintendent Dennis Palo Agustin, provincial PNP director, has reported that the police have conducted 29 operations; 25 persons/suspects nabbed in illegal drugs trade; and 41 cases filed in court from October-Nov. to Dec 2013.  In his report at PPOC meeting, Agustin said the police netted a total of P1,665,356.25 worth of illegal drugs from 2013 to January 14, 2014, or since he assumed office in late August last year.  Agustin reported that a total of 139.75 grams of prohibited marijuana and 140.65 grams of “shabu” were confiscated and 57 cases filed in court which he considered as a significant accomplishment of the police.

IT'S COMPLICATED

What complicated with the planned PDEA's transfer, a decision emanating from Regional Director Lyndon Aspacio, is that, according to Egam, Bohol can still be protected from illegal drugs if the agency is stationed in Cebu.  She said that the transfer is authorized by the PDEA regional director. The lone PDEA agent to be assigned here will be for coordination purposes only, Egam said.  But Chatto told Egam that he was baffled with the options considered by PDEA, considering that it would be very complicated to fight illegal drugs in Bohol while the crusaders are based somewhere else outside the island province. As this developed, the PPOC had unanimously passed a resolution requesting the PDEA director to reconsider its decision to abandon Bohol.

 ENORMOUS DISMAY

Sources at the PPOC meeting said that Boholano officials cannot hide their dismay after hearing of the unpopular decision of the PDEA. “It seems that the PDEA is not serious in its mandate to correct or eliminate the growing drug problem in the country,” said Romy Teruel, CAHRHILL Provincial Coordinator, who was clearly disappointed of the planned shutdown of PDEA here. Just a few weeks ago, national media reported that the Mexican Drug Cartel, the most dangerous drug syndicate in the world, has successfully penetrated the Philippines. The information came as a shock to many and a lot of Filipinos are apprehensive of what might become of the Filipino youth who are the most vulnerable sector in the society. (Ric V. Obedencio/Janet Villarojo)