A total of 94 drug personalities from different barangays in Panglao, voluntarily gave themselves up to police authorities and swore to forego the use of illegal drugs whether as a user, pusher or both.

Heeding the call from the Panglao Police Station to turn themselves in or mend their ways, the ninety four persons who were in their mid-twenties trooped to the police station yesterday afternoon starting from 1PM to 5PM.

Police Senior Inspector Joemar Pomarejos, Police Chief of the Panglao Police Station told DYRD “Tagbilaran by Night” that the mass surrender of drug personalities actually started the night before with the surrender of the original five suspects who earlier signified their intention to give themselves in to the police.

Four of those who turned themselves in were women, 19 pushers and 75 users, mostly in their mid-twenties and jobless. There were no minors among those who gave in.

Two brothers and a sister of Cloyd Quijada, a resident of Sitio Calapiyan, Barangay Danao who was shot dead by pursuing police during a buy bust operation on Monday, were among those who voluntarily went to the police station.

All of the 19 self-confessed pushers, according to Pomarejos, were in the watchlist of the town’s drug personalities but more than twenty still ignored the police plea to abandon illegal drugs.

The 94 drug dealers and users were interviewed, mugged and are now in the database of the police for monitoring before they returned to their barangays.

“We told them that they will be kept under observation for compliance of their pledge not to go back to their old ways”, said Pomarejos.

Pomarejos also thanked the barangay officials for their cooperation in the Oplan Tokhang of the police where those known to use illegal drugs were approached and advised to stop with a veiled warning that ignoring their pleas will be hazardous to their health and safety.

Of the ten barangays in the municipality of Panglao, only four—Tangnan, Lourdes, Bil-isan and Duljo—failed to submit a list of drug personalities in their localities. (Chito M. Visarra)