The anti-illegal drugs series maintained the momentum and targets to seize the glory by the time the police neutralize big-time pushers and financiers behind two main drug rings operating in Bohol.

Big-time drug personalities in the police watchlist had fallen one by one and “big time pushers and financiers are yet to be neutralized,” according to police provincial director, PSSupt. Dennis Agustin said.

Agustin reported during the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting on November 26 that the Bohol Police Provincial Office conducted 69 operations against illegal drugs from November 1-23, resulting to the arrest of 77 persons, confiscation a total of 275.31 grams of shabu with estimated value of P3.25 million and filing of 108 cases in court.

Agustin attributed the bulk of the accomplishment to the One Time-Big Time provincewide “Oplan Tumba-Preso” of the BPPO, in consonance with the national PNP headquarter’s “Oplan Lambat-Sibat”.

In the “Oplan Tumba preso” series, police teams arrested 55 persons—28 during the raids or implementation of search warrants and 27 during buy-bust operations; confiscated a total of 220.28 grams of shabu—186.37 grams from raids, and 33.91 from buy-bust operations; and filed 90 cases in court—47 from the raids, and 43 from the buy-bust operations.

“The Campaign against illegal drugs under Oplan ‘Tumba-Preso’ has gained commendable results. A massive provincewide anti-crime raid dubbed as ‘One-Time-Big-Time’, had stirred up the hornet’s nest of crime groups in Bohol,” according to Agustin.

He said the anti-illegal drugs series resulted in the confiscation of a volume of shabu worth at least P4.2 million and the death of one notorious assassin.

In prelude to the November accomplishments of the law enforcement agencies (LEA), Intelligence Officer Ma. Chona Egam of the Bohol team of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-regional office reported during the PPOC meeting that in October, they seized 57 grams of shabu with estimated value of P456,000.

The drug haul comprise of 17.32 grams confiscated from buy-bust operations, 39.08 grams from raids, and 0.6 gram from operations against suspects caught in the act of illegal possession of dangerous drugs.

Egam also reported that during the period, PDEA had conducted two buy-bust operations, and two operations based on search warrants, together with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG); one operation based on search warrant in tandem with CIDG and Dauis police team; one test-buy; four test-buy operations in tandem with CIDG; three, and five more conducted in tandem with CIDG; and implementation of a warrant of arrest in tandem with CIDG and the Tagbilaran police team.

PDEA attended to 81 drug cases filed before the City Prosecutor’s Office and the Provincial Prosecutors Office, wherein 43 were newly filed, 26 were up for resolutions, four were for preliminary investigation, and eight cases dismissed.

PDEA also attended to 23 cases of violations of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 filed before the Regional Trial Courts, of which five were on violation of Section 5 or sale of illegal drugs, 14 on Section 11 or illegal possession of illegal drugs, and four on Section 12 or illegal possession of drug paraphernalia.

Among the arrested persons during PDEA operations, nine had been detained, seven had posted bail, and one remains at large.

As to the status of the drug cases, one only clinched with conviction, while four resulted to acquittal.

Of those acquitted, one was charged of violation of Section 5, two charged of violations of Section 11, and one of Section 12.

In the campaing on demand reduction, the PDEA conducted a Dangerous Drugs Awareness Lecture to the last batch covering Barangay Tocdog Ilaya, Botoc Occidental, Tocdog Dacu, Las Salinas Norte, Yanangan and Poblacion Ubos of Loay participated by household heads.

PDEA also conducted a series of trainings or seminars on Illegal Drug Awareness and its Effects attended by punong barangays, barangay chairpersons on the Committee on Peace and Order and the chief tanods upon the initiative of the Liga ng mga Barangay-Bohol chapter.

The Dangerous Drugs Board also conducted a seminar-workshop for college student leaders on Drug Abuse Prevention Education on October 7-9 in Tagbilaran City where PDEA discussed the Philippine Drug Situation and the Salient Features of RA 9165 on October 8, according to Egam.