POLICE BRIEF STUDENTS ON DRUGS

DAGUPAN -- City Police Chief Candito B. Quijardo said Saturday they are
really serious in the campaign against illegal drugs and there shall never
be any let up in their task to once and for all stop this intolerable menace.

During a symposium held with the students of the Dagupan City National High
School-Barangay Carael Annex last Thursday, Quijardo briefed the students
how illegal drugs could destroy their futures once they get involved in
this particular vice, which is now one of the primary causes of various
forms of criminality.

He appealed to the students not to waste their opportunities to attain
education, which could give them their bright future.

"I also appeal to you (students) not to get carried away with your friends
who are users of illegal drugs, and please do not ever taste it. I am also
advising you not to indulge in drinking liquor or even cigarette smoking,
because these vices will only affect you physically and mentally," the
police chief said.

Quijarod said as the city's police chief, his desire and hope is for each
and every one of the students to be successful professionals in the future,
and not successful drug users nor drug pushers.

He advised the students that if they ever got involved in using illegal
drugs, there would only be two places for them to land, which is either
behind prison bars or at the mental hospital.

Quijardo also asked the students to get rid of or better report to them
some outsiders trying to lure and offering them to use illegal drugs, may
be it in form of shabu or dried marijuana leaves.

"At first they would entice you to try and taste these illegal drugs for
just an experience. But later on without knowing, you are already hooked
into it, and that would already be the beginning of the destruction of your
future and even your entire life," he pointed out.

Aside from illegal drugs, Quijardo told the students to refrain from even
taking un-prescribed cough syrups, as well as the sniffing of rugby and
solvents, in as much as these too are addictive and could affect their health.

"I ask you to report to us or even to your barangay and school officials
anyone whom you know are drug users, pushers or drug peddlers, in order
that these people could still be rehabilitated (for users) or be punished
for their illegal activities.

"Please report to the police or even to your principal whom you know among
your classmates who are carrying along with them prohibited drugs
especially inside the school premises," Quijardo appealed.

Quijardo was with his fellow police officials Chief Insp. Paquito
Navarette, his deputy who also lectured the students on prohibited drugs;
Senior Insp. Nilda Cabural, head of the Women and Children Concerns Desk
who discussed about women and child abuse; and PNP-Swat member Joey Daroy
who gave lecture on crisis management during the symposium.