Pubdate: Sat, 22 Oct 2005
Source: Manila Times (Philippines)
Copyright: 2005, The Manila Times
Contact:  http://www.manilatimes.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/921
Author: Ernie B. Esconde
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines

POLICE CLEAR 21 VILLAGES IN BATAAN OF ILLEGAL DRUGS

BALANGA CITY:  The police announced yesterday that they have cleared
of illegal drugs 21 barangays from January to September 30, leaving 42
still beset by drug problems.

Senior Supt. Hernando Zafra, Bataan police director, said the
drug-affected villages are mostly in Orion, Orani and Dinalupihan.
The area still affected by illegal drugs represents 17.7 percent of
the total barangays in 11 towns and one city in the province.

Zafra said the listed illegal-drug personalities in the province are
55 pushers and 63 users who get their supply from a courier carrying
about 200 to 300 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) and
dried marijuana bricks.

Zafra took over the Bataan police command in February.  As soon as he
assumed office, he ordered an aggressive campaign to weed out illegal
drug pushers and users through seminars with the barangay officials.
Buy-bust operations were also conducted that yielded good results.

There is no illegal-drug syndicate in Bataan, but shabu is available
through drug suppliers from Metro Manila while dried marijuana bricks
from the Cordillera Autonomous Region, Chief Insp. Luisito Magnaye,
provincial intelligence and investigation branch head, reported in his
press briefing.

The Balanga City police command under Supt. Magno Biag presented five
suspected illegal-rug couriers during the press conference at Camp
Tolentino here.

Supt. Arnold Gunnacao, deputy director for operations in Bataan,
appealed to the media to help the police convince residents to report
through text the presence of pushers, users and shabu laboratories in
their area.

Magnaye reported that from January to September, 106 drug symposia
were conducted that paved the way for the organization of 427
drug-watch volunteers.  In the same period, the police launched 130
antiillegal drug operations-50 through buy-bust and the rest through
checkpoints.

As a result, about 330 grams of shabu and more than 185 grams of dried
marijuana leaves, valued at about P660,000, were confiscated.  During
the same period, 166 criminal cases were filed in court against 176
arrested suspects composed of 60 pushers and 117 users, Zafra said.
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