MANILA, Philippines - Makati City Mayor Abby Binay has called on residents and officials of high class villages in the city to be “more cooperative” in the country’s campaign against illegal drugs.
Binay on Wednesday, July 20, made the statement after chairs of posh villages including Forbes, Bel-Air, Dasmariñas, Urdaneta and San Lorenzo villages issued certifications that they have no drug users among their residents. The mayor received the information from Senior Supt. Rommil Mitra, the Makati police chief.
"I ask the barangay leaders and residents of the six villages to allow the Makati police to conduct Oplan Tokhang inside their subdivisions,” Binay told reporters.
"The war against drugs can only be won if we extend our full cooperation with the police, especially in locating known pushers and users in our own backyard,” the mayor added.
Instead of submitting a list of suspected drug users and pushers, the said barangays issued certifications that prevented the police from conducting Oplan Tokhang. Although they were able to search Magallanes village, there were no surrenderees.
According to a report by Inquirer, a barangay hall employee of one of the villages revealed it was the police who asked for a certification confirming that there were no alleged addicts or pushers among their residents. The employee, who refused to be named, emphasized that they don’t have any drug-related cases.
“It would be easier if the police already had a name of a suspect and his or her respective address. But even then, we would still have to ask for the residents’ permission to allow the search,” the employee said.
As of July 18, a total of 625 drug users and 185 pushers from 26 barangays in Makati have voluntarily surrendered. Binay commended the Makati police for the initial outcome of Oplan Tokhang.
--Mini, The Summit Express
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| Forbes Park in Makati. PHOTO CREDIT: forbesparkmakati.blogspot.com |
"I ask the barangay leaders and residents of the six villages to allow the Makati police to conduct Oplan Tokhang inside their subdivisions,” Binay told reporters.
"The war against drugs can only be won if we extend our full cooperation with the police, especially in locating known pushers and users in our own backyard,” the mayor added.
Instead of submitting a list of suspected drug users and pushers, the said barangays issued certifications that prevented the police from conducting Oplan Tokhang. Although they were able to search Magallanes village, there were no surrenderees.
According to a report by Inquirer, a barangay hall employee of one of the villages revealed it was the police who asked for a certification confirming that there were no alleged addicts or pushers among their residents. The employee, who refused to be named, emphasized that they don’t have any drug-related cases.
“It would be easier if the police already had a name of a suspect and his or her respective address. But even then, we would still have to ask for the residents’ permission to allow the search,” the employee said.
As of July 18, a total of 625 drug users and 185 pushers from 26 barangays in Makati have voluntarily surrendered. Binay commended the Makati police for the initial outcome of Oplan Tokhang.
--Mini, The Summit Express
