50 DRUG PROTECTORS UNDER PNP WATCH

AT LEAST 50 Central Visayas policemen are under close watch by the Police
Regional Office (PRO) 7 amid reports that they are protecting illegal drug
traders in the region, a ranking police official revealed yesterday.

Citing an intelligence report, Senior Supt. Julio Augusto, PRO 7 deputy
director for administration, said each of the alleged drug-protector
policemen get at least P2,000 weekly protection money.

Alliance

"They have been suspected to be in alliance with drug suppliers. But we're
now adopting a new strategy so we can neutralize them," he said.

Augusto, also Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force
executive officer, said the report is that these policemen came from
different police units in Region 7.

Augusto said many of these policemen are assigned in city-based PNP
offices. He refused to disclose their assigned units and how many of them
are in each unit.

Augusto said drug suppliers would usually drop the names of their "allied"
policemen to create a psychological effect that they are protected.

Psychological

"It's more on panghadlok and psychological effect. Physically, they
(suspected policemen) are not around, they're just in the periphery," he said.

Augusto also said most of the Central Visayas policemen have already
refrained from drugs after the PRO 7 held a series of drug tests last year.

At least 260 policemen suspected to be hooked on drugs were subjected to
random drug tests last year. Nine of them were found positive of drug use.

Of the nine, four were dismissed from service for grave misconduct. The
fifth policeman, who was found positive of drugs, was exonerated due to death.

Augusto called on the community to help law enforcement units in validating
the reports.

"It seems that their concern is more on money matters, not much on the
threat of being dismissed from service. But the community can be part in
our efforts to validate these reports," Augusto said.

Advice

Augusto earlier advised policemen who continue using or protecting illegal
drugs to better get out from service or face serious administrative sanctions.

The PRO 7 has been trying its best to comply with Camp Crame's directive
that 60 percent of drug-affected barangays and drug pushers in Central
Visayas be already cleared this month.

Cebu has been dubbed as ideal place for drug traders because of its
strategic location in the Visayas. GC