Pubdate: Tue, 10 Jan 2006
Source: Visayan Daily Star (Philippines)
Copyright: 2006 Visayan Daily Star
Contact:  http://www.visayandailystar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1688
Author: GPB
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

MORE THAN 1,400 NABBED FOR DRUGS

More than 1,400 persons arrested for drug-related offenses in Bacolod
City and Negros Occidental in 2005 may find themselves staying longer
in jail.

This is because only 145 of the 1,554 drug cases filed in various
courts of Bacolod City and Negros Occidental had been acted upon last
year, records of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency show.

Of the 145 drug-related offenses acted on by various courts in Bacolod
City alone, there were 73 convictions, dismissals - 26, acquittals -
14, with 32 archived, PDEA regional chief Rolen Balquin, said in his
report.

PDEA reports also showed that in the same period, 306 drug cases were
pending in Negros Occidental courts.

Balquin also said Bacolod City, which is among the key areas in Region
6 identified as the site for transshipment of drugs, topped the list
with having the most number of pending drug cases with 1,296; Iloilo
City - 798, Negros Occidental - 306, Capiz - 209, Iloilo - 147, Aklan
- - 132, Antique - 32 and Guimaras - 17.

PDEA reports also showed that shabu remains the number "drug of
choice" by users in Western Visayas. Although clandestine drug
laboratories and warehouses in Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao have been
dismantled, shabu still found its way to the key cities of the region
but with a limited supply, the report said.

Due to its scarcity, a gram of shabu now costs P4,000, Balquin
said.

There is no clandestine shabu laboratory or warehouse in the Western
Visayas, although drug trafficking and abuses are serious concerns not
only for government agencies but for the community as well, he added.

PDEA reports also indicated that six drug groups were neutralized in
the region, while 426 pushers and 155 users had been arrested in
separate operations, that also led the confiscation of 649 grams of
shabu, estimated to have a market value of P2.2 million, and 4.4 kilos
of dried marijuana leaves worth P222,367.

The PDEA also filed administrative and criminal complaints against
nine policemen and three government prosecutors for allegedly bungling
drug cases they had filed in court, and non-compliance with Department
of Justice circulars.

Balquin said they have also conducted 44 symposium and
seminar-workshops, attended by 19,044 persons, majority of them students.

He also asked the PDEA central office for the availability of forensic
chemists to conduct drug tests on arrested drug personalities, and to
examine confiscated substances believed to be illegal drugs.
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MAP posted-by: Tom