Bishop Julito Cortes of the Diocese of Dumaguete has assured that the Diocese will continue to help government fight the illegal drugs problem but will not allow the priests to participate in the so-called TokHang activities.
Bishop Cortes’ statement comes as the Dumaguete clergy concluded Tuesday afternoon its two-day regular clergy meeting and even had for its guest speaker on the first day the regional director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency of the Negros Island Region who briefed them on the current drug situation in the country.
The prelate, in an interview, pointed out that Oplan TokHang is not the job of the priests but of the law enforcers.
“No, I do not recommend it because it is not really the work of the clergy to do police work and to be involved in that kind of activity”, Cortes said.
According to Bishop Cortes, he heard that another bishop reprimanded a priest who had involved himself in TokHang.
When asked if he is hopeful of the TokHang Reloaded, the Dumaguete prelate said he is not privy to what the operation is all about and that is also one reason why he is not allowing his priests to participate in it.
TokHang is an acronym coined from the Cebuano words toktok (to knock) and hangyo (to request), and is a project of the Philippine National Police to go on a house-to-house campaign to appeal to suspected drug users and pushers to voluntarily surrender.
TokHang was suspended for awhile but after its resurrection, the police announced that the house-to-house campaign would now seek the participation of civilians such as barangay officials, the media, and even religious and church representatives.
Media reports say that a priest in another province had already participated in TokHang 2 activities in response to the invitation of the PNP Chief, Director General Ronald dela Rosa, to priests, pastors and even Muslim clerics to join the said activity.
Meanwhile, the Diocese of Dumaguete will still continue with other ways of supporting the government’s war against illegal drugs, such as the proposed establishment of a drug rehabilitation center in Amlan, Negros Oriental and the conduct of information dissemination drives.
Bishop Cortes disclosed that he told the PDEA-NIR officials to write a five-minute explanation of what the agency would want to do in going to the churches and see whether the clergy would approve it.
If so approved, it can be read not necessarily by the PDEA but by the lectors so that whatever their objectives and content are, they could be relayed to the people in a language that may not disturb the people preparing for mass”, said Cortes.
The PDEA-NIR had asked that it be allowed to speak to all the churches about the “TokHang Part 2”, and want to make it an opportunity to remind the people about the evils of drug abuse but Bishop Cortes said the masses are not the proper venue to campaign against the illegal drugs problem.
“But at the same time I believe that we should cooperate with the President in dealing with the problem with drugs”, Cortes added, that is why he allowed PDEA-NIR to make their presentation during the clergy meeting.
Meanwhile, PDEA-NIR briefed members of the Dumaguete clergy, headed by Bishop Julito Cortes recently on the current drug situation in the country and limitations encountered in the region.
PDEA-NIR regional director Atty. Roselyn Borja during a presentation and a question and answer portion afterwards pointed out that the illegal drugs war in the Philippines cannot be fought by one agency alone.
The PDEA is mandated by law to lead the government’s campaign against illegal drugs but due to lack of personnel, the Philippine National Police, and in some cases, the military, are tapped to help them carry out their mission, she said.
Atty. Borja disclosed that unfortunately, there are only 2,271 plantilla positions in the PDEA in the Philippines, with 1,274 as drug enforcers.
And in the Negros Island Region, which comprises both provinces of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental, there are only 40 PDEA organic personnel, she added.
Given the agency’s limited budget of P1.8 billion under the General Appropriations Act of 2017, she disclosed that they concentrate on the arrests of high value targets and the carrying out of High Impact Operations.
Of the total, 40 percent goes to salaries and allowances, 26 percent for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses and 32 percent for capital outlay or for the procurement of firearms and ammunition, she said.
And only a small portion is allotted for anti-drug operations and reward money under Oplan Private Eye, she added.
The PDEA-NIR chief disclosed that 100 percent of the barangays in Negros Oriental are drug-affected as based on the report from the PNP.
She explained the mere presence of even one drug pusher in the barangay would categorize that barangay as “drug-affected”.
Her disclosure, however, runs counter to recent pronouncements by the PNP here that some barangays have already been declared as drug-free.
Borja appealed to the clergy for their help in fighting the illegal drugs war, saying that PDEA or other government agencies cannot do it alone.
When asked by Bishop Cortes how the diocese can help, she replied that this can be done through information campaigns, under the demand reduction and civic awareness and response pillars, two of five pillars in the war against drugs.
Bishop Cortes asked the PDEA-NIR chief about specific details of the drug situation in the province, however, the lady lawyer said that while she had available information, she did not bring it with her.
Borja also underscored the role of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils, saying that these should be strengthened to help curb the illegal drug menace in the country. (JFP)
