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[av_heading heading=’‘Treat drug traffickers, users like lepers’’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY GLENDA TAYONA
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Wednesday, March 7, 2018
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ILOILO City – How do you solve a problem like drug traffickers and drug users?
Ship them off to an isolated island like lepers, said Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon.
They should be serving jail time there while undergoing rehabilitation away from populations vulnerable to drug contamination, he explained.
Ganzon made the suggestion during a discussion at the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) yesterday. The warden of the Iloilo City District Jail – Male Dormitory opened up about a problem: the continued smuggling of shabu into the prison facility. He sought the city council’s help.
“Dapat i-separate sila nga lugar. They should be treated like may aro but continuous ang (rehabilitation) approach sa spiritual life. Makabisita ang pamilya once a week,” said Ganzon.
Superintendent Vicente Papelera, jail warden, urged the SP to pass an ordinance prohibiting the smuggling of contrabands at the Iloilo City District Jail and penalizing violators. He said this could deter the smuggling.
Ganzon suggested a more radical measure that he said could be applied nationwide – set up a penal colony for drug traffickers and users, especially those who voluntarily surrendered under the Oplan Tokhang of the Philippine National Police, akin to leper colonies.
“Tokhang” is a portmanteau or combination of Bisaya words toktok (knock) and hangyo (plead).
“The current government approach to drug rehabilitation is not effective,” said Ganzon. “Dapat may penal colony para sa mga na-tokhang. I-separate sila nga isla.”
In this island, he said, the drug traffickers and users may be given livelihood as part of their rehabilitation.
“If you try to analyze it, the drug problem is rooted in poverty, unemployment and overpopulation,” said Ganzon.
Papelera’s proposed ordinance to the SP stemmed from the repeated discovery of shabu in the Iloilo City District Jail – Male Dormitory sneaked in by visitors.
According to Papelera, last year they confiscated at least 11 heat-sealed plastic sachets of shabu valued at P300,000.
Fifty mobile phones were also seized, he revealed.
“As consequence, these jail visitors were banned from the prison facility for three months. But after three months, they would do it again,” said Papelera.
Councilor Ely Estante scoffed at Papelera’s suggested ordinance.
“Ila na lang na ‘ya. Dapat sila ‘ya ma-manage sang ila concern,” said Estante.
Councilor Plaridel Nava was more open to the warden’s idea.
“Ang ila concern nga there must be a law, an ordinance para mga bisita (smuggling contrabands) can be criminally prosecuted, para makulbaan man,” said Nava.
The proposed ordinance was referred to the SP committee on police and rules chaired by Councilor Joshua Alim.
The Philippine National Police recently released supplemental operational guidelines for Oplan Tokhang. Antidrug operations must be carried out only between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Director General Ronald Dela Rosa said the supplemental guidelines were “essentially founded on the fundamental principles of respect for human rights and strict adherence to the rule of law, with greater emphasis on transparency, accountability and command responsibility.”
These past two months, the City Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) managed to arrest 40 drug suspects. But Iloilo City Police Office director Senior Superintendent Henry Biñas said the unit was targeting 90 more.
He urged these personalities to better surrender to avoid being subjected to toktok and hangyo.
The 40 drug suspects the CDEU arrested were the results of 28 antidrug operations. Superintendent Rogen Morales, CDEU chief, said 36 of these were “newly identified.”
Meanwhile, Morales said, 14 drug personalities voluntarily surrendered.
“Drug pushers are now wiser when making transactions. They know we are intensifying our campaign,” said Morales./PN
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