The Philippine Drug Enforcement Administration cannot just make a guess as to the real drug situation in Negros Island Region, according to lawyer Ronnie Delicana, newly assumed NIR director for PDEA, who paid a courtesy call on Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo recently.
During their meeting with Governor Degamo early this week, Delicana stressed the need for the conduct of a barangay clearing operation so real data will really come from the ground and for members of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council to do the reporting to get the real picture.
PDEA cannot just rely on reports from so-called informants who, in some instance, turned out to be just scammers.
It is not even remote that members of a drug syndicate may pass on the wrong information to keep PDEA busy with a lot of things while the real ones are left scot free, he said.
Delicana said law enforcement units can only make a detailed reporting of their accomplishments based on actual confiscation of illegal drugs paraphernalia.
Last year, almost 300 anti-drug operations were conducted in Negros Oriental which resulted in the confiscation of more than 1,200 grams of shabu that had a Dangerous Drugs Board value of more than P14 million.
Also confiscated were more than 1,600 grams of marijuana worth P90,000 with more than 335 persons arrested and 430 plus cases filed in court.
From January 1 to 29 this year, the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group has reported a total of 56 anti-drugs operations which resulted in the confiscation of 68.61 grams of shabu worth P809,000 DDB value and 86 cases filed in court against 62 persons.
Meanwhile, Governor Degamo has asked PDEA to investigate why a drug personality arrested for alleged possession of more than seven grams of suspected shabu following a search at his residence in Bais City, Negros Oriental was able to post bail when the quantify of confiscated drugs is non-bailable.
As a general rule, a person arrested in possession of at least five grams of shabu should not be allowed to go out on bail, especially when the evidence of guilt is strong, unless a bail hearing is conducted and the findings is the other way around, the NIR PDEA director said.
Delicana was informed fireman Arnold Saycon was able to post bail even if he had allegedly in his possession more than seven grams of shabu following the implementation of a search warrant at his residence in Poblacion Bais City as part of the One Time Big Time operation of the police.
In another development, if their budget will allow, the new PDEA region 18 director disclosed he is also toying the idea of destroying confiscated illegal drugs and paraphernalia twice a year after decisions have been rendered by the judge in their respective cases.
This is just like what he did in Region 5 where he was formerly the deputy regional director, explaining this is to allay fears of drugs being recycled in the streets.
However, Delicana said destruction proceedings is not anymore as ordinary as before when confiscated illegal drugs are burned in public with no expense.
The destruction now should be done in a thermal facility, the very least in a crematorium, because public burning of confiscated illegal drugs would be a violation of the Clean Air Act, Delicana said.
For high volume seizures like 50 kilos and above, the requirement is to destroy the drugs within 72 hours after an ocular inspection of the court, and after taking a representative sample of the confiscated items with pictures taken to be used as evidence in court. (PNA)
