TACLOBAN CITY- The campaign on illegal drugs may be controversial but it helps in the decrease of the commission of other crimes.
Chief Superintendent Elmer Beltejar, police regional director, reported that crime rate in the region has decreased significantly after the national government implemented its war on illegal drugs.
In his report during the joint meeting of the Regional Peace and Order Council and Regional Development Council last Wednesday(August 16), Beltejar narrated that crimes against person and property have dropped covering the January to July of this year.
The crimes committed against persons this year is 15.59 percent lower than last year of the same period. In the actual figure, there were 1,050 cases compared to last year’s 1,244.
On the other hand, there were only 651 cases of committed crimes against property which is 53.37% lower than last year’s 1,396 cases, Beltejar said.
Crimes against persons and properties are often linked by police authorities on the proliferation of illegal drugs, notably methamphetamine hydrochloride or popularly known as ‘shabu.’
The campaign against illegal drugs being waged by President Rodrigo Duterte is being questioned by several human rights advocates to include foreign organizations and governments like the United Nations and the United States.
The campaign has resulted in extrajudicial killings which appeared to be state sponsored,they claimed.
The President and police authorities like the Philippine National Police, however, debunk this allegation.
Beltejar said that because of their strong campaign against shabu, its supply in the region has considerably dropped.
The police regional police, who is to step down from service at the end of this month, said that their campaign will focus in ‘clearing’ barangays that have a serious drug problem. (MARWAH JAILANI, LNU Student Intern)
