By Jennifer P. Rendon
In the past weeks, Western Visayas, particularly the province and city of Iloilo, saw bigger seizures during illegal drugs operations.
Apparently, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how to encourage policemen to do and perform better.
“Incentivize,” Brigadier General Rolando Miranda, Western Visayas police chief, said.
When he assumed as Police Regional Office 6 (PEO-6) chief on December 1, 2020, he said that he would be focused on the anti-illegal drugs campaign.
At the onset, “I want to incentivize. Ang pondo cascaded,” he said.
By doing that, Miranda said he empowered municipal police stations by funding.
“Whatever their operational needs, “sige, bigay ako ng bigay. After that I incentivize. ‘Yung malalaki ang huli, binibigyan ko pa rin ng incentive ang mga tao natin for them to make it better, to do better.”
Oton Police Station in Iloilo is one unit that is up for incentive from Miranda after they confiscated PHP8-million worth of shabu in a buy-bust operation on January 5, 2021.
Mary Joy Villarina, 30, a resident of Deca Homes in Barangay Pandac, Pavia, Iloilo, was arrested at Barangay San Antonio, Oton.
A day before that, an 18-year-old lad was also arrested with around PHP455,000 worth of shabu.
John French Balboa was arrested in Barangay Abaca, San Enrique, Iloilo.
On January 7, a jobless man was arrested with around a kilo of marijuana during a police anti-drugs operation at Pavia, Iloilo.
After the arrest of Marc John Wendam, 27, a resident of Barangay Aganan, Pavia, three of his alleged downlines were arrested in less than two hours.
Over the weekend, police operatives also scored big in Iloilo City.
Two persons were arrested with around PHP200,000 worth of shabu during a police anti-drugs operation late evening of January 9 at City Proper district.
Police identified the suspects as Raymond Baticos, 38, and Janemar Roma, 33, both residents of Barangay Concepcion, City Proper.
A day after that, three persons previously imprisoned for separate criminal charges were collared in a police anti-narcotics operation at Barangay Sto. Niño Sur, Arevalo in Iloilo City.
Arrested were Efren Tugado, 46, of Barangay Bonifacio, Arevalo; Ace Segura, 34, of Barangay North Avanceña, Arevalo; and Jhone Pedilla, 28, of Zone 5, Barangay North Boulevard, Molo.
Members of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit 6 (RPDEU-6) and Iloilo City Police Station 6 (ICPS-6) recovered around PHP455,000 worth of shabu from the suspects.
In the past, there have been series of arrests in the city and province of Iloilo but they mostly ended up recovering a few grams of shabu.
“Sana magtuloy-tuloy kasi dyan natin ma-me-measure ang commitment ng tao eh. Kung ang nahuhuli mo lang ay pa gramo-gramo, well hindi ako nasa-satisfy pero okay pa rin. I have to admit na baka hanggang dun lang. Pero hindi pa rin ako naniniwala na hanggang doon lang ang kakayahan nila,” Miranda said.
He believed that policemen should also be motivated.
“Once you incentivize them, once you give them the proper funds they needed, they can accomplish,” he said. Thus, the need to cascade the funds down to the municipal police stations.
“Whatever they need, they just let me know and I will provide. One of the jobs of the regional director is to provide. Yun ang gagawin natin,” he assured.
PORTS SECURITY
Miranda said he would like also to strengthen securities at ports, especially in Negros Island, where it is being used as a transshipment point.
He acknowledged reports that San Carlos City is where illegal drugs sneaked through in going to the region.
“Kaya nga ang mga taong nilagay ko sa mga kritikal na police stations, personal ko na mga kakilala para siguro ako na magbabantay at hindi gagawa ng kalokohan. ‘Pag gumawa sila ng kalokohan, puputulan ko sila ng ulo,” he said.
Meanwhile, Miranda said that the bigger volume of confiscation doesn’t mean that bigger support is coming into the region.
“Baka sumipag ang mga pulis natin at gumaling ang mga network,” he said.
The arrests made, Miranda said, are usually products of follow-up operations of those who were earlier arrested.
The region’s top cop is also confident of more and bigger arrests, if everyone does their part.
