CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- A total of 143 illegal drug suspects have been arrested in the entire province of Misamis Oriental within the first 100 days in office of its new top police official.
Colonel Gonzalo Villamor, Jr., the provincial director of the Misamis Oriental Police Provincial Office (MORPPO), in a press conference on Monday, October 31, stressed that the government’s fight against illegal drugs remains one of the top priorities of the Philippine National Police.
Col. Villamor made the statement as he reported his accomplishment in his first 100 days as provincial director of the Misamis Oriental.
The arrest of the 143 drug suspects were made during 124 anti-illegal drug operations from all city and municipal police offices in the province conducted from the time Villamor assumed the office on July 22 this year.
His 100 days ended on Sunday, October 30.
The police also recovered during those operations a total of 214.0191 grams of shabu and a total of 187.6996 grams of marijuana with an estimated market value of P1,458,329.36.
Opol town, the first municipality located west of Cagayan de Oro, seized the biggest haul of shabu with 69.4685 grams.
This was followed by El Salvador City with 47.779 grams, Tagoloan with 41.902 grams and Villanueva with 32.5165 grams.
The PNP Misamis Oriental is also strategizing its anti-illegal drug operation to follow the directive of President Marcos Jr.
Marcos Jr. already said that apart from the focus on educating the health impact of illegal drugs and improving the rehabilitation centers, he also wanted the police to focus on capturing big-time illegal drug traders, as he believes that it would bring an actual difference.
Lt. Col. Ariel Philip Pontillas, the deputy provincial director for operations of PNP Misamis Oriental, in the same press conference, said they will continue their strong relationship with the community, especially in the barangay level to track big-time illegal drug peddlers.
“Through good community relations, good community oriented policy and good rapport with the community, that is the key that’s why we have a good number of accomplishments within the 100 days of our provincial director,” Pontillas added.
Apart from illegal drugs within the said period, the provincial police also arrested 152 individuals from 54 conducted anti-illegal gambling operations.
They also tallied 12 communist rebels arrested and six communist rebels who returned to the fold of the law, with a total of eight confiscated, surrendered and recovered firearms. In the same period, they also recorded four communist rebels who died in police operations.