Pubdate: Mon, 22 Aug 2005
Source: Sunstar Bacolod (Philippines)
Copyright: 2005sSunstar
Contact:  http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1718
Author: EASD
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines

ANTI-DRUG BODY CONDUCTS SEMINAR ON IDENTIFYING SHABU

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Region 6 will conduct
a one-day training-seminar at Police Training Center in Mansilingan,
Bacolod City Monday.

Topics include: how to identify chemicals, precursor of illegal
substance and clandestine drug laboratories.

Target participants are police officers in the province who are now
undergoing Officer Advance Courses, police officers who are currently
on schooling at the PNP Regional Training School 6 in Iloilo City,
PDEA personnel and members of the tri-media in Bacolod City.

PDEA Region 6 acting director Supt. Rolen Balquin said the training
aims at equipping law enforcers not only those in the PDEA but
including the media in Western Visayas the know-how in identifying
suspected illegal drugs in cases of raids.

"We also want to give aid to law enforcers in determining what is a
clandestine drug laboratory that may be existing or soon to exist in
Western Visayas," added Balquin.

The training, said Balquin, will also be presented in 12 chapters that
will also include lectures, exercises, including workshops.

After the lecture, he added, participants will be given refresher
tests to determine their knowledge based on what they've learned in
the seminar.

Balquin, meanwhile, recently disclosed that based on their
intelligence monitoring there is probably a clandestine drug
laboratory existing allegedly in an island located somewhere in
northern Negros near the Cebu island.

He, however, said that until now they are still doing some hunting
procedures to determine the veracity of the intelligence report.

But Balquin's report has bolstered the earlier disclosure of Cadiz
City Mayor Salvador "Bading" Escalante Jr. calling their city as the
new "dumping" ground of shabu.

Escalante though admitted that their local policemen are "hapless" to
curve such illegal dumping activities of illegal drugs in their
coastal areas due to unavailability of resources in apprehending the
suspects.

The mayor believes that supplies coming in their city are probably
coming from Cebu City or in any other nearby provinces.

Cadiz is considered as a vast fishing ground of Negros
Occidental.

With 38-kilometer shoreline and 11 fishing villages, Escalante said,
its very hard for their police to secure their city from dumping of
illegal drugs.

But he assured the public that in case their new Cadiz City Commercial
Port will be completed soon, this drug dumping activity will be
totally be abated. 
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