P14M drugs in 9 months 

Are we losing the drug war? 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, October 6 (PIA)—When some authorities did not lack in advice against those who continue with the illegal and destructive drug trade, Bohol police authorities still were able to account over P14 million in illegal drugs, taken off from the streets from January to September 2018. 

Over this, questions as to how effective is the campaign on drugs start to resound. 

Recent obtained data showed that the deaths of personalities who fought it out with the police, the noise behind the alleged extra judicial killings and the non-committance of several officials on the campaign seem to tilt the balance to failure. 

With this, many have betted that the police could lose the steam anytime when the participation they expect from communities would come out less than desired. 

“True, the campaign once struck fear, there was abrupt decline in illegal drugs trade, but the over-all effect after self-confessed human rights advocates side with drug personalities than innocent victims is now sowing discontent,” a member of the Bohol Provincial Peace and Order Council said. 

“The courts have also been accused as doing less than expected in processing cases,” kin of drug victims have said. 

“Over this, criminals see the opportunity,” confesses a police officer who politely refused to be named for lack of authorization. 

Camp Dagohoy reports recently showed that in the nine months of police operations, it was in the month of July that they lifted off the streets nearly half a kilo of illegal drugs or methampithamine hydrochloride, its biggest haul of drugs as yet at 485.34 grams. 

The haul was worth P5,724, 888 .00, based on the Dangerous Dugs Board value which was then pegged at nearly P12,000.00 per gram. 

It may be recalled that late last year, just as police intensified its Oplan Double Barrel Reloaded, there was a noted decrease in drug trade as shown by police operations. 

“Emboldened by the magnitude of people who are still dependent upon the illegal industry, drug personalities went back to the old trade despite the risks,” another police intelligence operative admitted. 

“The problem is again complicated by many local leaders who have shown an apparent wait and see attitude,” a lady officer also put it in. 

“Many have also seen who those who surrendered and were placed under rehabilitation backslid without any consequences, and the move to go back to the old trade was just too tempting,” admitted another police source. 

“Little did they know that we have placed these persons of interest under surveillance,” he added. 

“The problem is compounded and further complicated by self-confessed human rights groups who would rather defend drug personalities than the innocent victims falling victims to the illegal drugs trade,” the intelligence officer continued. 

The effect was too blatant that in January, from only 11 grams of drugs worth P 129,800 confiscated during 4 police operations and 4 persons arrested, the figure burst into P1.391, 456 in February where there were a total of 19 police operations that nabbed 27 drug personalities. 

From then on, figure went up and down never went lesser that than 178,000. 

For a total of 195 police operations, from January to September 26, police authorities also accosted 239 persons in violation against illegal drugs ranging from mere possession, possession of illegal paraphernalia or in the becoming more famous buy-bust operations. 

And when everybody thought the nearly half a kilo of illegal drugs accounted and denied off the streets is the last of it all, in August, authorities again secured 205 grams with a street value of P2,419,000. 

That month, in 65 police operations, 71 personalities at least stayed overnight in slammers or about 110 cases were filed against these suspects. 

By September, in just 26 days, and in 20 police and coordinated operations with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, authorities took into custody 161.27 grams of illegal drugs at an estimated street value worth P1,902,986 and nabbed 33 persons now facing a total of 45 cases in court. 

As this continued and the Joint Regional authorities have cleared hundreds of barangays, the PDEA has recommended the calling of the attention of those declared drug-cleared barangays and remind them of their duties and responsibilities in maintaining their statuses. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

RADIOCON facilitates PCC-USF 

matching with Siquijor farmers 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, October 6 (PIA)—If it was just like any ordinary convention, many would have called it another government junket. 

But, from it, if plans do not miscarry, the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) authorities would be flying off to Siquijor to present the prospect of a cottage dairy program to marginal farmers and possibly improve lives by adding alternative sources of income for the people there. 

During the recent Convention of Region 7’s Regional Association of Development Information Officers (RADIO-7CON) held in Panglao, organizers and Bohol hosts adopted a travelling convention concept bringing convention participants to culture and heritage sites and farm tourism destinations in abid to popularizes and mainstream tourism. 

Attended by information officers from local government units and national government agencies as well as private establishments and tourism officers across Central Visayas, the RADIOCON visited the PCC in Lomangog Ubay to learn about the economic viability of carabaos in farm tourism and carabao dairy as a potential source of income for farmers. 

PCC Ubay Stock Farm (USF) Center Chief Dr. Gondolino Bahinting, in his introduction during the farm visit urged convention participants to help megaphone the good news about carabao dairy farming and tourism options, as a way to allow rural farmers the chance to showcase their farms as tourism destination and interaction areas. 

The PCC, according to topic presenter Guillerma Abay-abay, is into animal dispersal programs. 

While the government, through the PCC initially disperses carabaos as draft animal, the mechanization that is slowly transforming the local farm scenes is sidling the farm animals into near threatened to non-use. 

Over this, the PCC introduced carabao for dairy, which has the potential to cut the country’s dependence on imported dairy from New Zealand and Australia. 

The Philippines imports dairy, because we produce only a little less than 10% of our requirements, Abay-abay pointed out. 

A native carabao, which would be kept for dairy, can produce 2 liters of milk a day, the rest would be food for its calf. But a good imported breed can give between 6 to 8 liters of milk a day, and at P50 per liter, that would be an additional P400 for a dairy farmer, Abay-abay told information officers and tourism officers gathered at the PCC conference Hall in Lomangog Ubay, September 20. 

And with the farm animal giving birth to a calf every year, a farmer can have an additional P20,000 at least for a fattened calf sold after five months, she added. 

A Boholano farmer is now tending to 4 milking carabaos, averaging P1600 a day in income and has since expanded his carabao milking heads. 

This same tempting prospect has caught the attention of Maria Siquijor tourism officer and self confessed farmer Roselyn Asoc. 

The wife of the town mayor, Asok believes presenting the carabao dairy to her town would greatly improve her people’s livelihood incomes. 

She has verbally asked PCC through Dr, Bahinting to help her with their town’s request. 

The PCC could be coming to Siquijor anytime soon, or as soon as the formal requests could be facilitated. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

PCC Center Chief Dr. Gondolino Bahinting exchanges banter with Siquijor Tourism Officer Roselyn Asok and DAR Regional Information Officer Gay Visitacion after the PCC caught the attention of farmer tourism officers for the government carabao farm facility’s farm tourism initiatives. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

PCC Dr. Gondolino Bahinting explains to information and tourism officers the gist of the PCC mandates and their shift to dairy farming to afford communities alternative livelihood source and income. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

6% increase in monthly 

Crimes, still low - PNP 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, October 6 (PIA)—From 484 cases recorded last month, Bohol Police based in Camp Francisco Dagohoy reported a slight increase, as they note a 6% increase in crime volume for the 6 month crime trend beginning March. 

The increase, which was traced to non-index crime, is still too low it failed to surpass the two consecutive monthly dips enjoyed at 20 and 26% , Camp Dagohoy through Police Chief Inspector Lorenzo Batuan said. 

From 484 cases in August, crimes reported in police blotters across Bohol showed a total of 514 cases, which still could not completely submerge two succeeding 20% and 26% decreases from 736 cases in July, to date. 

Camp Dagohoy crime statisticians also noted that the 6% increase in crimes is largely due to the increase in non-index crimes which sagged down to 361 after the last five months only to wallop back up with 42 more cases to 403. 

At this, police have countlessly assured that in cases when there is an increase in non-index crimes, these are because police have doubled up working in implementing special laws, thus the 42 cases more. 

As to the index crimes, from a high 198 cases in May 2018, the downtrend continues for the third month, bringing down index crimes to 111. 

Physical injuries, which have always been a concern for members of the Provincial Peace and Order Council due to its capacity to bloat local crimes, nailed a 46.25% decrease in the last three months from high 80 cases in May to 37 in August. 

Meanwhile, police may have found a way to get to criminals doing robbery cases marring Bohol crimes slate as the last three months pegged a 24.24% decrease. 

Simply, it means from 28 robbery cases during the fiesta month of May, it is now down to near bottom with only 7 recorded cases. 

The same is true with theft, police records showed. 

In June, theft cases zoomed to its highest with 82 cases. 

This however got trimmed to 56 by August, a substantial decrease which boosts an image local officials intend to tag Bohol with. 

In the case of non-index crimes, the no-nonsense pursuit of the implementation of traffic laws and illegal drugs, which are among the special laws, showed promise. 

From 100 cases in March, the continued implementation of other special laws, and their proper observance to bring about peace and order have brought victories with 161 cases recently recorded. 

Traffic related incidents for example, which peaked at 266 in May, apparently hit a speed bump with a visible decrease to 190 in August.

For this, Bohol now pegs a 37.27 average monthly crime rate and 8.05 average index monthly crime rate. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)