Iloilo cops to share info on illegal drugs with PDEA

FILE: IloIlo (PHOTO: Iloilo City Heart of the Philippines/Facebook)

ILOILO CITY — Policemen in Iloilo will continue to work with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) through intelligence sharing following President Rodrigo Duterte’s order designating the latter as the “sole agency” to conduct anti-drug operations.

This was underscored by Chief Inspector Charlie Sustento, head of municipal police station in Ajuy, Iloilo and concurrent head of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office-Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (IPPO-PDEU), in a media interview on Thursday.

Duterte signed a memorandum on October 10, instructing the Philippine National Police (PNP) to let PDEA conduct all the anti-drug operations of the government, as provided in the Republic Act (RA) 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Sustento said that they will still help the PDEA by gathering intelligence reports on hard drug activities.

“Whatever information we will receive, we will give that to PDEA. We will share the information so they will be neutralized,” he said, adding that they have yet to receive the guidance from their central office regarding the order.

Nonetheless, Sustento said they are happy with the success of the campaign against hard drugs and that the President has also recognized the PNP’s success in neutralizing the high value targets and drug personalities.

However, he said that they were also saddened as they still have pending operations related to hard drug activities.

Meanwhile, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. said that the President’s order is just giving the public the opportunity to observe the result of the campaign on hard drugs through giving back the responsibility to PDEA as the sole agency. (PNA)