By Gideon C. Corgue
PAGADIAN
CITY – Some 300
self-confessed drug users and pushers from different barangays surrendered on
Thursday to Mayor Romeo Pulmones and Supt. Michael P. Palermo, PNP chief at the
New Executive Function Hall, City Hall Complex.
Palermo said the surrender of the suspected drug dependents was
part of “Oplan Katok at Pakiusap” (Knock and Plead) campaign of the Philippine
National Police that encourages addicts not only to stop using illegal drugs
but to reform as well.
The surrenderees immediately took their oath before the two
officials to stay away from using and selling illegal drugs and to undergo drug
test.
Palermo
was happy that the drug users and sellers cooperated with the police and voluntarily
surrendered themselves.
Palermo
asked the drug users why they surrendered to the police. According to them,
they wanted to reform. But the police chief did not believe them because he
observed that the reason for their surrender was that they were scared by
reports of suspected drug peddlers who were killed in police operations.
“I
know that you surrendered not because you want to reform but you are afraid of
the relentless anti-drug campaign of President Duterte. If your aim is to
reform, you should have surrendered earlier to the police,” Palermo noted.
Palermo
said the police does not consider drug users/sellers as drug addicts but
victims instead.
“We did not treat you as addicts. You are just victims
thus, you deserve to be given assistance,” Palermo explained.
Meanwhile,
Mayor Romeo Pulmones said the anti-illegal drug campaign was already started in
2012 when the government declared an all-out war against illegal drugs.
“But
with the marching order of President Duterte directing all local chief
executives and chiefs police to intensify its campaign, city officials actively
supported the crusade,” Pulmones stated.
He
warned the drug users/pushers to stop their illegal drug activities saying that
those who continue to do it will land either in the mental hospital, jail or in
the cemetery.
Pulmones
observed that from among the surrenderees, there were no prominent persons,
instead they all come from poor families.
The
mayor was shocked when he found out one of the drug users was a 13 year-old
boy.
He
also noted eight women including one who is pregnant, and one carrying an infant in her arms surrendered to the police.