ILOILO City – Director Alex Tablate of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Region 6 said he would run after high-value targets (HVT) and intensify drug clearing operations in barangays across the region.
Tablate was reassigned to Western Visayas from the agency’s Laboratory Services.
“Expect more drug operations. This time we have to focus on the HVTs as instructed by the national office,” Tablate said, adding he had reviewed the latest list of HVTs in Region 6.
Included in the priority list is the region’s No.1 drug personality, Ernesto Bolivar. However, based on the latest report from the Regional Intelligence Division (RID) of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), Bolivar already fled the region.
Police intelligence reports also showed Bolivar’s group already dismantled following the arrest of down lines.
“Bolivar is still in our list of targets and we are working with the police and other agencies concerned,” Tablate said.
PDEA-6 records also showed that between January and July this year, 165 HVT personalities were arrested in anti-drug operations.
Tablate will also focus on clearing drug-affected barangays despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
According to PDEA, which sits as chair of the Western Visayas Regional Oversight Committee on Dangerous Drugs, out of 4,051 total barangays in Western Visayas, 3,393 or 83.75 percent were already cleared of illegal drugs.
PDEA is hoping to clear the remaining 16 percent this year, Tablate said, despite the coronavirus pandemic.
“Medyo mabagal ang ating drug clearing dahil sa coronavirus (pandemic). Hindi tayo maka-conduct ng validation kasi ang mag-present hindi makapunta so we have to do it through virtual lang,” he said./PN
