Fast and straight, the Bohol police chief debunked the false claim that the governor is a drug lord while more vile propagandas against the strong reelectionist capitol leader is expected two weeks to the May 9 polls.

“Hindi! (No!)” was how quick and direct Sr. Supt. Dennis Agustin, Philippine National Police (PNP) provincial director, in dismissing the malicious allegation widely peddled by certain political blocs and their black propagandists.

The question of whether Gov. Edgar Chatto as well as Provincial Administrator Alfonso Damalerio II are drug lords/protectors or not was thrown right at the face of the top PNP official by the media at a conference on Monday.

Once and for all, the Bohol media would want the truth to prevail thru an official statement from the PNP while dirty campaigning has, another police officer said, seemed to proliferate like shabu.

Camp Dagohoy called the press conference and presented the major anti-drug operational accomplishments of the Bohol PNP under Agustin from August 2013 until the first quarter of this year.

Agustin thanked Chatto and Damalerio, who is also the governor’s focal person on peace and order concerns, for their consistent solid support to the PNP not just even in the heightened fight against drugs.

NBI-Bohol Head Agent Rennan Augustus Oliva, also present at the meeting with the press, said they “do not care” whoever drug-engaged influential people they may cross path with.

But they make sure they “act on evidence” because “without evidence no one can accuse” and it is grossly unfair to just point finger to the innocent, said Oliva who is a lawyer.

BIG DRUG SOURCE IS IN CARMEN

Meanwhile, NBI-Bohol Executive Officer Arcelito Albao, also a lawyer, on Friday revealed to the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC), which is chaired by the governor, that a big source of illegal drugs operating in the province is in Carmen.

Almost P2.5 million worth of suspected shabu had been seized from two high-level dealers arrested in Carmen during separate provincial PNP and NBI operations last week.

If not the above entire drug haul, a huge quantity of it was believed to be supplied by the Carmen-based “big source” who was divulged, although not named, by Albao in the PPOC meeting.

Despite Albao’s disclosure, the PNP and NBI are careful not to jeopardize their on-going investigation.

Camp Dagohoy reported some 36.3 million worth of confiscated illegal drugs resulting from 977 operations that nabbed 1,104 suspects, including the notorious ones who were killed in encounters with the police, from August in 2013 until January-March this year.

The period was well within the start and continuing Bohol PNP command under Agustin who, before his Camp Dagohoy appointment, was asked by Chatto himself to present a “fearless” anti-drug combat plan.

On Friday’s weekly capitol forum with the media, Damalerio confirmed that the governor did ask Agustin of his “battle plan” prior to his appointment pursuant to the province’s serious campaign to end the drug menace.

Agustin’s flat denial and outright dismissal to the grave allegation dragging the governor to illegal drugs actually just reaffirmed the PNP chief’s earlier statement last year clearing Chatto of the false claim.

ANOTHER LIE EXPOSED

Camp Dagohoy’s record accomplishment effectively refuted and exposed another widespread political campaign lie, especially in the Second District, that no drug arrests in years have been made in the province under Chatto.

Law enforcement authorities challenged all concerned local officials to prove their worth against illegal drugs, which “hot spots” include such Second District towns as Buenavista and Getafe as well as Tubigon in the First District.

Cheap politics by twisting issues as serious as drug abuse concern does not do good while only harming candidates who are otherwise faithful to their duties, authorities said.

Sectors suggested to the governor to warn the public against his detractors’ more black propagandas by lies and deceits, considering also Chatto’s high trust rating and sure overwhelming win based on independent surveys.

Results of the latest Bohol Poll 2016 by the Holy Name University (HNU) even predicted Chatto to bury his opponent by a sweeping majority vote of 84% despite efforts to destroy him while his contender only got 10%.

DILG ALSO DEFENDS CHATTO

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Provincial Director Loisella Lucino also defended Chatto from the storm of malicious allegations.

Also during the Camp Dagohoy press conference, the lady DILG head asserted, “I have personally known the governor to have never been involved” in illegal drugs, much less coddling the lawless activity.

Also heading the PPOC secretariat, Lucino insisted that “our governor is so serious in the anti-drug campaign.”

The DILG official proudly said that Bohol’s PPOC under Chatto is the only PPOC in Central Visayas that meets every month and, thus, more regularly, oftenly updating the province’s anti-drug campaign.

Law enforcement agencies have been one in citing that it is in Chatto’s administration, with the PNP-PDEA-NBI in the frontline, that Bohol engages in a serious fight against illegal drugs and addiction.

NBI HITS FALSE REPORT

Oliva said he even “confronted” last month a reporter, whom he identified as Ric Obedencio, of the Second District-based daily Bohol News Today for an item implicating Bohol to narco-politics with the NBI as the supposed news source.

He said he asked the paper thru the reporter to “retract” his publication because if there was any such statement issued here, it should come from him being the only authorized officer to say or from whom he delegates such an authority.

Oliva asked the media during the Camp Dagohoy conference “to be responsible,” admitting that he was himself ordered by his national superior to explain for the false information supposedly sourced from the NBI that otherwise never said it.

At a PPOC meeting months ago, a city police officer complained against what he called “plain harassment” by a lawyer who countercharged them even in the Ombudsman as a result of their anti-drug operations.

The lawyer, said to be also a local paper writer, reportedly has clients who are arrested drug suspects.  (Ven rebo Arigo)