LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Some one thousand eight hundred forty eight drug surrenderers in the different parts of the province were able to graduate from the community-based rehabilitation and wellness programs that were undertaken by the personnel of the Benguet provincial police office in partnership with the private and religious sectors over the past two years.
Benguet provincial Police Director Senior Superintendent Lyndon Mencio disclosed that there were some 2,608 drug surrenderers in the 13 municipalities of the province since the aggressive implementation of the government’s anti-drug campaign right at the start of the present administration.
Of the 13 municipalities, Buguias registered the highest number of drug surrenderers with 566 followed by Kibungan with 386, La Trinidad – 336, Itogon – 316, Mankayan – 238, Bakun – 222, Tuba – 168, Tublay – 101, Kabyan – 85, Atok – 81, Kpngan – 77, Bokod – 22 and Sablan – 10.
On the other hand, the police official claimed that there are still 194 drug surrenderers in the different municipalities who are still completing their community-based rehabilitation and wellness interventions being provided by concerned government agencies in partnership with the local governments and the private and religious sectors.
Of the number of those who were able to complete their community-based rehabilitation, Kibungan recorded the highest number with 386 followed by Buguias with 37, Itogon – 279, Bakun – 200, Mankayan – 146, Tuba – 107, Tublay – 95, La Trinidad – 82, Atok – 81, Kabayan – 80 and Sablan – 9 while there was no drug surrenderers in Bokod that completed the said program.
Among the towns with drug surrenders undergoing their community-based rehabilitation program include Mankayan with 75 followed by Mankayan with 55, Atok – 26, Bokod – 21, Tuba – 11, Kapangan – 5 and Tublay – 1.
For the first three months of this year, Mencio revealed that combined police operatives and anti-narcotics gents were able to conduct 4 drub buy bust operations that resulted to the arrest of 5 drug personalities and the seizure from them some 6.327 grams of illegal drugs with a market value of P43,023.60.
Further, the combined operatives were also able to implement two warrants of arrest that resulted to the arrest of 5 drug personalities and the confiscation from them of some 0.784 grams of shabu with a market value of P3,253.12.
In terms of marijuana eradication, mention revealed that they were able to conduct 4 separate operations that resulted to the discovery of 35 different plantation sites in Bakun and Kibungan which resulted to the uprooting of some 6,684 marijuana plants, 3,700 marijuana stalks among others with a market value of P13,595,800.
He assured that personnel of the Benguet Provincial Police office will remain steadfast in the performance of their anti-criminality, anti-terrorism and anti-insurgency campaign to boost the prevalence of lasting peace in the different parts of the province considering that Benguet remains one of the most peaceful provinces in the country to date. By HENT
