ANTI-DRUG AGENCY TOLD TO NAME CORRUPT COPS

MISAMIS Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno called on the regional office
of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 10 to "name names"
concerning police officers who may be involved in protecting illegal
drug suppliers.

Moreno issued the challenge to the agency in a television interview,
saying it's not sufficient for the drug enforcement agency to simply
mention the alleged involvement of some top police officials in
illegal drugs.

"If they did mention that then it's not enough for them to do so. It's
easy to say this person is involved in drugs. Name names then
prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law," Moreno said.

Millions of pesos worth of shabu laboratory equipment and drugs seized
in raids, as well as marijuana to be used as evidence for the courts,
were burned Sunday at the Pelaez Center at 3:00 p.m.

The burning was witnessed by PDEA 10 officials, National Bureau of
Investigation, Cagayan de Oro City Police Office, police and local
officials in the city and province, and students.

Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Caisip, deputy director general for
Operation and PDEA assistant secretary, attended the activity together
with regional police director Florante Baguio.

Meanwhile, Moreno told the provincial police to be uncompromising in
their search for corrupt cops and drug pushers saying the families of
the drug victims would fall prey to their negligence.

The PDEA 10 earlier said three towns in Misamis Oriental are drug
hotspots. "Maybe there's a laxity on the part of the police but we
should work hand in hand because this is a big problem," Moreno said.

For his part, PDEA 10 Regional Director Rene Orbe said their
identification of Gitagum, Villanueva, and Alubijid towns are based on
the reports and monitoring of their field personnel in those areas.

Orbe said practically all municipalities have the presence of illegal
drugs including the mountainous town of Claveria where drugs are being
peddled.

"When it comes to local pushing, it is the responsibility of the local
police to monitor but as lead agency they are under us in this
initiative," Orbe said.