For one day, Bohol police authorities implementing the Synchronized Enhanced Managing of Police Operations (SEMPO) confiscated nearly 50 grams of illegal drugs, nabbed 57 and permanently neutralized 2 drug personalities, August 16.
Camp Dagohoy, Bohol Provincial Police Office through Police Chief Inspector Mohammed Jul Jamiri said in 57 simultaneous operations during the day, the force also confiscated 28 fire-arms of different calibers, further intensifying the supply and demand reduction program of the Philippine National police.
Reporting at the Provincial Peace and Order Council gathered for the first out of town joint council meeting with the Anti-Drug Abuse Council inside the Sangguniang Bayan Session Hall of Loon, Inspector Jamiri who sits as the Camp Dagohoy operations officer, explained that the SEMPO is a recalibrated One Time Big Time, which was the anti-crime thrust during the Chief PNP dela Rosa incumbency.
Claimed to be the biggest and widest crackdown against illegal drugs and its trade as well as illegal fire-arms conducted within eight hours, the SEMPO which had months upon months of planning, had police simultaneously swooping down on illegal drug personalities, several of them surrenderees during Oplan Tokhang.
While many drug personalities who surrendered to authorities after the police knocked in their homes and pleaded for them to surrender, stop drugs and get into a rehabilitation program, thought everything was just for show.
“At first, we saw the police authorities were serious as the President was very serious about eliminating the drug problem,” a surrenderee timidly confessed.
But a lull in the operations after the surrender had many thinking the storm has passed, and the climate has cleared to go back to the profitable drug trade.
“It always happens, there is a serious campaign and then it is all ningas cogon,” he added.
Now a community rehabilitation beneficiary of the Center for Drug Education and Counselling (CEDEC), the surrenderee said he is happy now that he can walk alone without fearing that someday, he would be frisked and yield illegal drugs.
Last August 16, police engaged their stations in 57 operations across the 47 towns and a city and netted those who thought the police operations then was just simply ningas cogon.
In the operations, 56 persons got arrested, 2 were killed for resisting and fighting back at the authorities while these operations confiscated 49.411 grams of illegal drugs popularly known as shabu.
After the whole month, police have taken off the streets 10 more drug personalities and about 3 more grams of shabu, all with an estimated Dangerous Drugs Board street value of P 10, 443, 129.80, Jamiri said.
The same operations recovered some 48 fire-arms of assorted calibers and kind, Inspector Jamiri reported.
That same day, police also took the opportunity to neutralize criminals involved in illegal gambling and illegal numbers games.
Police nabbed 35 personalities involved in this illegal gambling.
Camp Dagohoy also assured that they would remain to keep watch especially when they have seen considerable victories in bringing the crimes down in Bohol, making the province an ideal place for business and peaceful place to live in. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)