ILOILO – The provincial government has no plan to reward policemen arresting drug pushers.
Going after drug traffickers is well within the tasks of the police, explained Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.
The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) is performing well even without rewards, he added, noting that “Pila na ka mga events of declaration of drug-free municipalities ang ginkadtoan ko.”
Of Iloilo’s 1,721 barangays, 98.19 percent have been declared as drug-cleared, data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region 6 and the provincial police showed.
Defensor said the provincial government supports the plans and programs of the Philippine National Police “all-out”, including improving the IPPO’s facilities and its logistics.
The governor also sees no need to require provincial government job hires and contractual employees to undergo drug tests at this time.
However, Defensor does not entirely disregard the possibility of making this a requirement in the future.
In Iloilo City, Mayor Jerry Treñas is requiring job hires to undergo drug tests.
He also announced he would give a reward to city policemen for arresting drug pushers.
A former casual employee of the city government was recently arrested in a buy-bust operation and yielded shabu./PN
