At least 169 Cagayan Valley officials surrender in anti-drug drive

CAGAYAN, Philippines – At least 169 government officials in Cagayan Valley surrendered to authorities amid the intensified anti-illegal drug campaign of the Duterte administration.

In a press release on Thursday, September 8, the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the region said among those who came forward betweeen July 1 and September 8 were municipal councilors, barangay (village) chairmen, village councilors, village watchmen, and government office employees. 

According to Senior Superintendent Liborio Carabbacan, PNP’s deputy regional director for operations and the head of the oversight committee on Project Double Barrel, 3 town councilors, 46 village chairmen, 92 village councilors, 8 village watchmen, and 20 other government employees from the 4 provinces in Cagayan Valley surrendered to the police.

Police Superintendent Chevalier Iringan, PNP-Cagayan Valley information officer, said the surrenderers were all drug users.

They are from Isabela, Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino.

Isabela has the highest number of surrenderees at 114. Two were town councilors, 14 were village chairmen, 70 were village councilors, 8 were village police, and 20 were government employees.

Police said there is no record of government official who surrendered in Batanes province.

Meanwhile, as of September 1, the regional police recorded a total of 183,269 houses visited under the Project Double Barrel.

19,343 have surrendered in all. Of the number, 17,504 are users while 1,853 are drug pushers. 

Of the 424 arrested in police operations, 121 are users and 303 are pushers. 

Nine suspected users and pushers were killed in legitimate police operations in the region.

“This accomplishment only proves that PRO2 is serious in its battle against illegal drugs in the region. We will enforce the law in its fullest extent without fear and favor,” said Chief Superintendent Gilbert Sosa, police regional director.

In August, Sosa ordered the relief of 22 Cagayan Valley chiefs of police due to their poor performance in implementing the Project Double Barrel. – Rappler.com