BAGUIO CITY December 06 – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan revealed the city’s drug problem is still serious while approaching the 6-month self-imposed timetable of President Rodrigo Duterte to curb the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country.
The local chief executive claimed the 214 drug surenderees recorded by the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) from the period November 28 to December 4 shows that there are still numerous drug pushers and users in the various barangays here who still do their illegal activities trying to put an acid test to the government’s all-out campaign against illegal drugs.
“We call on the remaining drug pushers and users in the city to reform and surrender to the authorities and not wait for something to happen to them or to the members of their families before they will realize that it is time for them to surrender,” Domogan stressed.
From 1,513 drug surrenderees the previous week, the number of drug surrenderees in the city grew to 1,727 the following week and still increasing.
He pointed out the government has given sufficient time to the drug surrenderees to reform by giving themselves up to the authorities and be properly guided back to mainstream society.
According to him, it is unfortunate that there are still drug pushers and users who remain hard headed by refusing to surrender and reform. They are trying to test the limits of the law.
Domogan reiterated the appeal of local officials for the drug pushers and users to help themselves by surrendering to the police and be provided with the necessary technical assistance to enable them to join mainstream society as reformed citizens and to prevent their lives from being put to danger.
He explained that what is needed is the vigilance of residents on the illegal activities of their neighbors and reporting these for proper action to the nearest police station.
Domogan is grateful to the government’s anti-drug campaign because it proved that all the city’s 128 barangays are drug-affected as shown by the presence of drug surrenderees from all of them. The problem needs a consolidated effort among the government and the private sectors in order to address it before it goes out of control.
He said it is proper for local residents to personally be aware of who their neighbors are, to know whether or not they are involved in the illegal drug trade, and cooperate with the authorities by informing the police of the presence of drug pushers and users in their areas.**By Dexter A. See
