CITY DIRECTOR Police Senior Superintendent Vicente C Danao places a sticker outside the door of Barangay Chairman Alimoden “Wating” Usman of Barangay 23-C Mini Forest, Davao City during their launching of the anti-illegal drug campaign Katilingban Og Kapulisan Kontra Droga (KATOK Droga). (Ace R. Morandante/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY – The Davao City Police Office on Wednesday launched its anti-illegal drugs campaign by house to house campaigning.
Similar to the Oplan Tokhang (Toktok-Hangyo or Knock and Plead ), the police officers visited houses in different barangays and posted stickers, posters and hanged tarpaulins with the numbers of their hotlines to facilitate public reporting.
Oplan Tokhang was a campaign where police officers go to houses of suspected drug pushers.
Police Chief Inspector Milgrace Driz, spokesperson of the DCPO, said Katiliban Og Kapulisan Kontra Droga (Kontra Droga) is more of a public-awareness campaign.
She said they will not just go to houses of suspected drug pushers, but will also include schools, public and private vehicles and barangays in the campaign.
City director Police Senior Superintendent Vicente Danao in an interview said they hope to increase the number of arrests of suspects implicated in illegal drugs trade in the city.
He said they also hope to “minimize the supply.”
Danao said they are also avoiding narco-politics that is happening in other areas of the country.
“We wanted to avoid yung tinatawag nating narco-politics. There are some groups here who wanted to support a candidate with the support coming from drugs,” said Danao.
However, he said they have yet to receive a report that narco-politics is now happening in Davao City.
“Sa level ko wala. At least masasabi ko wala (In my level I can say that there is none). I don’t know in other places,” said Danao, adding the city’s tight watch against illegal drugs could have prevented the said activity.
Danao also clarified that houses where stickers were placed does not mean that the house belongs to that of a suspected drug pusher.
“I even posted a sticker in my car,” he said.
According to DCPO’s data from January to August this year, 670 illegal drug personalities were arrested, while 591 drug cases were filed. Driz said they confiscated 2,371.32 grams of shabu valued at P17, 157,844.56 and 1,779.72 grams of marijuana valued at P78,006.12.
She claimed this was the reason why the Philippine National Police headquarters recognized DCPO as the best performing city anti-illegal drugs special operation task group of 2015. (davaotoday.com)
