By Gail Momblan and Annabel Consuelo Petinglay/Philippine News Agency
ILOILO CITY — Top executives of anti-drug law enforcement agencies in Western Visayas have supported the call of President Rodrigo R. Duterte to impose the death penalty versus illegal drugs and heinous crimes.
In a phone interview on Monday, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) officer-in-charge for Western Visayas Alex M. Tablate said that the death penalty is already in the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. However, since it was suspended, what has been imposed is life imprisonment.
“I believe personally it would be a deterrent because they would see what would happen to those who are involved, to the drug personalities,” Tablate said.
He added that in the past years, everyone was a witness of how rampant was the problem of illegal drugs.
“Just imagine how many thousands of surrenderers have been reported. We saw the magnitude of the problem that affected not only the common people but even law enforcers,” he said.
He added that as a whole, President Duterte’s fourth State of the Nation Address “emphasized what should be given priorities; not just efforts again illegal drugs but in a wide sense has a link into corruption in general.”
The illegal drug problem and corruption will be addressed, and the effect will eventually be seen in the years to come, he said.
“The President recognizes the accomplishment of the Philippine National Police but the problem of illegal drugs is persistent,”
Brig. Gen. Rene Pamuspusan, Police Regional Office Western Visayas (PRO-6) Director, said in a phone interview.
He gave his approval to Duterte’s call to impose the death penalty for crimes related to illegal drugs.
Pamuspusan emphasized that it would be difficult for drug personalities to leave behind their illegal activities because “it is big business.”
He noted that the PRO-6 had done a lot to curb illegal drugs but the PRO-6 “still has a lot to do to fight illegal drugs.”
“Definitely, if the death penalty will be passed into law, it will have a chilling effect on those who continue with the illegal drugs,” he said.
Despite the persistence of illegal drugs as stated by the President, Pamuspusan has highlighted the accomplishments of the police to fight drugs in this part of the region.
From December 5, 2017 to July 11, 2019, PRO-6 was able to arrest 3, 587, out of which 856 are identified drug personalities, the PRO-6 report shows.
Pamuspusan said the police office has also filed cases against drug personalities. In the same report, the police in Western Visayas has filed 4, 459 cases related to illegal drugs.
Based on the record of the PRO 6, Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) has the most drug cases filed with 1, 676; Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) with 1, 557; and Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) with 482.
“There is an improvement in the (reduction of) illegal drugs in the PRO-6,” he said.
Antique Police Provincial Office Deputy Director, Lt. Col. Norby Escobar also believed that the death penalty will serve as a big deterrence against crimes.
“However, the justice system must be more precise so that those who are guilty are the ones executed and the innocent one is acquitted,” he said.
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