JUST WHEN THE LEADING  presidential bet(s) promise to crush the seemingly invincible drug trade (once elected to the Palace), finally, a drug queen falls into the hands of the Bohol authorities. Kudos to the provincial PNP and their allied groups for at last putting the chains on the elusive Maida Quimson Jabines (Sierra Bullones), the drug queen.

This is not the first time we have heard of this female criminal. We were shocked in the past to see her name and two other drug ladies in the list of big-time operators (which put the term “lady” in a very bad light).

The Bohol Chamber of Commerce and others had put to task the authorities why only the drug pushers and the small frys get caught in the dragnet. They argued drug lords (ladies) are hard to catch because they do not peddle drugs directly – so it is difficult to build ”prima facie” evidence. Agree.

But the capture of Queen Jabines means it can be done. So why not duplicate the method and cure this madness called drugs?

In other places -an imminent incoming new administration (at least in the Palace) had lighted a fire under the seats of authorities and public officials that their days of dancing with the (drug) enemies could be over. So, so many anti-drug activities are burning in these places.

Which means “protection money” admitted or not -has been and is still happening big-time.

The illegal drugs proliferated under the regime of a former Bohol PNP Director, who was reportedly under instructions from a powerful PNP officer to “go slow on drugs” in Bohol. This same PNP official was even a candidate to replace PNP General Alan Purisima and had intense connections to the  LGUs and the powers-that-be.

Fortunately he never got the post. The Palace knew.

This year several operations were successfully done by the PNP, PDEA and the NBI in Duero, Dauis-Panglao, Carmen and Tagbilaran but netted all drug pushers chief among them No 1 Drug-Pusher Eddie Vano. But for drug lords- Jabines is the first Lady (not married to any president).

In June of last year Provincial Police Director Col Dennis Agustin named 10 towns led by this city as drug infested and even named the barangays they were supposed to prosper. Having been named publicly by the chief of police hereabouts-did these barangay officials make regular reports to their mayor and the mayor to the -governor about their respective anti-drug campaigns?

That Police List also named 35  drug personality “targets” as of June last year. How many have been neutralized of the 35?

The “intelligence” report declared the main source of shabu is the New Bilibid in Muntinlupa which is the modern-day hotel of criminals equipped with aircons, TV sets, DVD players, sex toys, game sets and my goodness, a recording studio for a singer-inmate, our dear Lord.

The report also “knew” the sources-conduits of the Bilibid Mafia  were Cebu and Ozamis City and what manner they are transported into Bohol.

In fairness, we still think Col Agustin and Governor Edgar Chatto could  not be themselves drug users or coddlers (Edgar does not even smoke). We cannot speak, though, for the rest of their men among their  ranks who are all human beings who can be  enticed by the light and sight of the almighty peso and what money can buy in this world.

We enjoin barangay folks to report discretely what you know. The NBI even has a barangay -level campaign where citizens can report directly to the NBI under their “Report a Criminal to the NBI” program.  Do not wait for Boholano NBI Chief Virgilio “Dodong” Mendez to step down with President Noy Aquino co-terminously.

Col Agustin had proudly claimed that the overall anti-drug dragnet  in Bohol for 2015-2016 (till to the arrest of Vano) totals P30-M worth of shabu. Add to that the P26M from the Drug Queen, the anti-drug effort is now a whooping P56-Million. Nothing to sneeze about.

Now, let us build on this momentum and scalp the heads of the remaining drug lords and ladies and their assorted protectors for the good of the province and the future of our children.

 

 

            LICK THE DRUG MENACE IN SIX MONTHS?

 

 EVEN THE GOOD INTENTIONS of a leading presidentiable to lick the drug problem in six months may just be a pie in the sky. Though we hope to God it could be done.

The country has over 7,000 islands (in low tide) unlike a contiguous city like Davao, large though it may be in land area. It just cannot be done -and not just for topographic reasons alone.

Killing the drug pushers and their lords and ladies is just one part of the equation: the supply side. There is still so much to do with the demand side: parents, teachers, priests   not watching over their young who go astray and do drugs.

As long as there is demand -supply follows. That is like saying water seeks its own level.  It finds a crevice to obey the call of gravity and physics.

Davao city mayor’s self-imposed deadline to end drugs in 6 months is a laughing stock to some but has become a seductive propaganda that has allured many more. Can it be done? Realize that the USA, armed with their federal and local police, the FBI and the CIA still cannot lick – totally (as Duterte promises) the drug problem leaked out of Mexico. We must be reasonable enough and realize that.

Crime fighter former senator Ping Lacson himself says it cannot be done in six months- that just covers the period to ensure accurate surveillance of the drug situation. Says Lacson: “Even if Duterte uses his own armalite, he cannot just shoot them down when they surrender with their arms up.”

But VP candidate, senator Antonio Trillanes said yesterday ( see headline Daily Inquirer) that Duterte reportedly admitted to him of  personally  shooting criminals even when they were on their knees. The mayor answered that accusation with a name-calling: Trillanes is an idiot who just wants publicity.

Former justice secretary Leila De Lima, who had an earlier tiff with the Davao mayor, called Duterte “a monster.”

One reliable source said the reason  that the mayor promised to end all criminality in  such a short period – six months- is that his doctors said  that at Duterte’s age he might not be able to take all the rigors of the presidency for the full six  long years.

Is this fact or propaganda? Only Digong’s personal doctor can say for certain.

But do we hate drugs? Yes we do – as passionately as Duterte does.