Another One Time-Big Time provincewide police operations against illegal drugs resulted in the arrest of 44 persons and death of one last Thursday and Friday.

Police Provincial Director Felipe Natividad described it as “impressive” in a press statement from Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO).

Natividad ordered all the chiefs of police in the towns and Tagbilaran City to conduct the one time-big time operation in their respective areas of responsibility on September 15-16 in an effort to “eradicate the drug menace in the society”.

The 44 arrested persons included 36 suspected pushers and eight suspected users in different parts of the province.

BPPO report showed that Clarin police team led the accomplishments with three arrests, one alleged pusher and three alleged users.

Police stations of San Isidro, Loboc, President Carlos P. Garcia and Valencia arrested one alleged user each.

The rest of the police stations had also had arrested one alleged pusher each, while Tagbilaran City Police Station arrested three alleged pushers.

“Most of the pushers were arrested through buy-bust operation, while others were arrested in check points and serving of warrants, according to BPPO.

The buy-bust operation in barangay Bicao in Carmen resulted to the death of the subject when shootout ensued.

The Carmen police team, led by PInsp. Joseph Lopena, and in coordination with PDEA7-Bohol Satellite Office, conducted the buy-bust operation at around 4:30 p.m. on September 16 against a newly identified drug personality in the town, Vicente Sumampong.

Police said the 54-year-old subject had a live-in partner, jobless and a resident of same barangay.

When the police team was about to arrest him after he handed a sachet of shabu to the poseur-buyer in exchange of P500, Sumampong allegedly resisted and drew his short firearm and fired at the poseur-buyer, but missed.

This prompted the back-up PNP personnel to shoot Sumampong, resulting to his instantaneous death.

Sumampong sustained four gunshot wounds in different parts of his body.

The cadaver was examined by Dr. Josephine B. Jabonillo, Medical Officer of Municipal Health Office, Carmen, Bohol.

The Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) from the PNP Crime Laboratory Office recovered from the possession and control of Sumampong, an unlicensed caliber .38 revolver with three ammunitions in the chamber, and two shells;  a cellular phone;  one medium-size sachet of shabu; two more small sachets of shabu; the 500-peso bill used as marked money.

These were in addition to the small sachet of shabu he handed to the poseur-buyer.

Meanwhile, the BPPO and the provincial government launched Alsa Droga (Alyansa Laban sa Droga) conducted on September 16.

Volunteers from the towns joined the motorcade from BPPO grounds at Camp Dagohoy, passing through CPG Ave., to the Bohol Cultural Center where a ceremony was conducted.

Local government units were represented by their respective mayors, chiefs of police, municipal local government government operations officers, barangay captains and one volunteer each barangay.

They joined DILG Provincial Director  Louisela Luceno, Col. Arnulfo Matanguihan- -brigade commander of 302^ndInfantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, Lt. Col. Jose Dodge Billoga of the 47 IB PA and Police Senior Supt. Clarito Baja- -chief of the Regional Police Community Relations Directorate (RPCRD)-7.

Alsa Droga is a brainchild of PNP-7 Regional Director Noli Taliño, who also graced the occasion and delivered a message to the Boholano people.

Taliño urged the public to be vigilant by reporting all activities related to illegal drugs proliferated within their respective barangays.

For his part, Gov. Edgar Chatto emphasized the responsibility of every Boholano to cooperate with the police.

He said police officers may come and go, but the Boholano people will remain in their respective domicile and can be victims of different crimes if illegal drugs continue to proliferate in the province.

The volunteers from each barangay took their Oath of support before Mayor Allen Rey Piezas, the LMP president.(with reports from SPO4 Winnie Lopena, chief clerk of BPPO PCR)   

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