PAGADIAN
CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, July 2 (PNA) – Thirty-eight drug personalities have
voluntarily surrendered to government authorities in the nearby towns of
Dimataling and Lapuyan while four others were arrested in separate anti-drug
operations in this province.
Senior
Supt. Michael Nicolas, provincial police director, told the Philippines News
Agency (PNA) that 19 of the 38 drug personalities who surrendered Friday
afternoon were from Dimataling town while the other 19 from Lapuyan
municipality.
Drug
personalities refer to individuals who are either involved in the trade of
prohibited drugs or purely drug users.
Nicolas
said the surrender of drug personalities was made possible through massive and
aggressive campaign dubbed as “Oplan Double Barrel,” launched by the police in
coordination with the local government units to include the barangay officials.
Nicolas
said the campaign is in line with the declaration of war by President Rodrigo
Duterte against the proliferation of drugs in the country.
Under
the campaign, Nicolas said the surrenderees will have to undergo certain
procedures and their willingness to stop the illegal activities as well as to
support the war against prohibited drugs.
He
said they will relentlessly pursue those drug personalities who would continue
their illicit activities.
Meanwhile,
he identified those arrested in the anti-drugs campaign as Mark Angelou Ferrer,
21; Ricardo Same, 38; Faisal Cabugatan Khong alias Fai, 34; and, Hilda Ampak,
43.
He
said Ferrer and Same were arrested in a buy-bust operation Friday afternoon in
Purok 4, Barangay Upper Tiparak, Tambulig town.
He
said Khong and Ampak were arrested in a separate buy-bust operation on the same
day in Purok Sunshine, Barangay Santiago, this city.
The
arresting team confiscated from the suspects’ possession prohibited drugs and
paraphernalia.
Nicolas
said the suspects were detained while appropriate charges are set to be filed
against them. (PNA)
ZST/TPGJR/HIROHITO D. CADION
ZST/TPGJR/HIROHITO D. CADION
