The Philippine National Police is looking to make at least 1.2 million drug personalities surrender by January 2017.
Chief Superintendent Camilo Cascolan, the PNP Deputy Director for Operations, said there are now 960,000 surrenderers since the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs started in July.
“We are hoping to catch up with the 1.8 million based on the [Dangerous Drugs Board] survey of drug personalities. If not, hopefully lumagpas kami sa 70 percent or 1.26 milliom sa second phase,” Cascolan said.
Under Oplan Double Barrel Alpha, the PNP explanded Oplan Tokhang to schools, businesses, and private and government offices.
Oplan Tokhang is the communities-based campaign wherein policemen go house-to-house to appeal to drug personalities to surrender.
“We will include business establishments, government offices, BPOs, terminals, security providers, and the entertainment industry,” Cascolan said of Oplan Double Barrel Alpha.
Cascolan said the objective of Double Barrel Alpha was to ensure all barangays in the Philippines are drug-free by the end in 2017.
“We go down to the barangays, of which we look forward from clearing it in illegal drugs… All barangays should be cleared by the end of the six-month extension,” Cascolan said.
Meanwhile, Cascolan said the PNP visited more than 540,000 houses under Double Barrel Alpha from October 26 to November 7.
More than 12,000 drug suspects—12,578 are drug users while 614 are drug pushers—surrendered to authorities in 1,421 anti-illegal drug operations since October 26.
The PNP also arrested 2,299 drug personalities and killed 87 during police operations. —NB, GMA News
