LINGAYEN, Pangasinan –The Drug Enforcement Team (DET) of the police in this province stays despite the withdrawal of the police from the war on drugs as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.
This was disclosed by Chief Inspector Norman Florentino, head of the police community relations (PCR) of the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office, who said DET will continue to gather intelligence information concerning illegal drugs and relay this to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
It is PDEA that will operate on illegal drugs with the PNP extending its full assistance whenever it is requested, he said.
He said the PNP will now concentrate on crime prevention particularly in running after criminals riding in tandem.
The police, he said, will still still support drug clearing operations in areas where drug personalities in the watch list have not yet been accounted for.
He said if there are illegal drugs seized in police checkpoints, they will inform PDEA about it.
Despite the pullout of PNP from the drug war, Senior Supt. Ronald Lee, Pangasinan police director, remained confident that the Pangasinan police can meet its target to make Pangasinan drug-free by December this year.
To date, there remain only 48 barangays or villages in 39 towns and cities of Pangasinan that have yet to be cleared of illegal drugs. (PNA)
