Biyernes, Enero 20, 2017

Winning the PH Crime War: Less robbers and drug pushers now


By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Skeptics on President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on illegal drugs compared Thailand’s war on narcotics where almost 3,000 died in the First Drug War in February to April 2003 and countless died in the Second Drug War in 2005.
AUTHOR TOOK THIS PHOTO. Ricky Cornel holds affectionately the face
 of his older brother Piggie, 43, who was slain by the police in a drug 
sting operation early of July last year in Dagupan City. Ricky and Piggie 
submitted themselves a week earlier as pusher and user of shabu (meth) to the 
village chief of Bonuan Gueset and made a promissory note that they 
would avoid narcotics. Piggie, however, was caught by the police with a 
notorious pusher in a motel room selling shabu and fought out with the
police that resulted to their being shot to death.

Despite the thousands of persons  killed in Thailand and those 6000 individuals who died in legitimate police operation and those on Death Under Investigation (D.U.I)  in the Philippines war on dangerous drugs, these skeptics say Duterte’s war on narcotics is destined to fail.
But as a radio commentator and journalist who visit regularly city and town mayors and chiefs of police in the 48 cities and towns’ Pangasinan, I could say that the dangerous drugs war launched by the Duterte Administration are picking up and resulted to significant drop not only of drug pushing and using but of index crimes like theft, robbery, and other petty crimes.
In Alaminos City, Police Chief Superintendent Benjamin Ariola cited recently that only two of the 39 villages in this Western Pangasinan city are still not illegal drug free. Dagupan City’s Chief of Police Superintendent Neil Miro declared in January 12 the city as 90.2 percent after narcotics prevalent Barangay Pantal and Pogo Chico of the 31 villages’ city were publicly announced as drug free.