The Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO) might have to come up with a list of drug personalities to be submitted to the Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 as incoming President Rodrigo Duterte has asked each region to submit a list of drug personalities.
Duterte has repeatedly announced through the media that he would launch a shoot-to-kill order on drug suspects down to the barangay level.
For the meantime, the BPPO proceeded with the usual relentless operations against illegal drugs in consonance with Gov. Edgar Chatto’s all-out war against all forms of criminalities, especially illegal drugs.
In the recent Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting, Police Superintendent Ricky Delelis, information officer of the BPPO, reported that in the first 23 days of May, 28 persons were already arrested in 23 operations conducted by police teams in the province.
During the 23 police operations conducted on May 1-23, the BPPO teams confiscated 44.4 grams of shabu with estimated value of P523,920.
At least 38 cases had already been filed in court against the arrested persons, some of them charged with two or three violations of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
In the month of April, the BPPO recorded 30 anti-illegal drugs operations that resulted to the arrest of 48 persons.
During the 30 operations, the police teams confiscated a total of 1,684.16 grams of shabu with estimated value of P19.87 million.
These operations resulted to the filing of 59 drug cases in court.
No representative from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) presented a report during the recent PPOC meeting, but they sent a copy of the Powerpoint presentation on the Bohol team’s accomplishments.
In the PDEA report, it is indicated that they had conducted eight intelligence operations, one buy-bust operation, and one raid or implementation of search warrant in the month of April.
Also in April, the PDEA team in Bohol had collaborated with the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation in conducting 15 buy-bust operations, nine drug raids, 16 test-buy operations, 12 casing or surveillance operations, and three in flagrante delicto operations.
One of the significant cases that PDEA had highlighted in its report was the April 26 operation conducted jointly with NBI-Bohol, 703rd Maritime PNP and CIDG-Bohol.
At around 8:20 a.m. on that day, the composite team conducted a buy-bust operation at Upper Sto. Niño area in barangay Dao, Tagbilaran City which resulted to the arrest of one Angelo Butal Bautista—also known as Joshua.
They confiscated 51.55 grams of shabu with estimated value of P592,825 and various drug paraphernalia from Bautista.
PDEA-Bohol also reported that they already filed 33 new drug cases before the City Prosecutor’s Office and the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.
They are also following up 47 cases that are for resolution, and 10 cases for preliminary investigation.
One case had already been dismissed at the prosecutor’s level, which was on violation of Section 11 of RA 9165 or possession of dangerous drugs.
Of the 53 persons arrested, 48 are now detained and five remained at large, according to the PDEA report.
The PDEA report also shows that a total of 85 drug cases have been elevated to the Regional Trial Courts—20 are on violation of Section 5 (Sale, Trading, Administration, Dispensation, Delivery, Distribution and Transportation of Dangerous Drugs and/or Controlled Precursors and Essential Chemicals); 51 are on violation of Section 11 (possession of dangerous drugs); 12 on violation of Section 12 (Possession of Equipment, Instrument, Apparatus and Other Paraphernalia for Dangerous Drugs); and two on Section 15 (Use of Dangerous Drugs).
Of the decided cases, there had been one acquittal regarding violation of Section 11 and another one on violation of Section 12, according to the PDEA report.
These accomplishments of partner agencies pursuing the relentless campaign against illegal drugs in Bohol will be considered in drafting the pattern to harmonize, if needed, with the looming shoot-to-kill policy against drug personalities being espoused by Duterte.