Calasiao cop cites 92% of villages are still narc free

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO – The police still maintain that ninety two percent of this 24 villages' town are still free of narcotics despite the suspension of Oplan Tokhang or Oplan Plea by authority for drug users to surrender.

Police Superintendent Charlie Umayam said that it is still the status quo based on the percentage on the drug monitoring done by the police here before the suspension of Tokhang in January this year.

BRIGADA. Policemen of Calasiao, Pangasinan lead by its Chief of Police Superintendent Charlie

 Umayam (6^th from left) pose for posterity with public school teachers of San Vicente Elementary

 School in Brgy San Vicente, Calasiao, Pangasinan in connection with the ongoing school activities

 dubbed as "Brigada Eskwela 2017.

“Ninety two percent drug’s free noon, the same pa rin. Meron three barangays nakini-clear natin. Nandoon pa iyon. Drug pushers hinde pa namin nakita. Hinde pa nagsu-surrender dito,” he stressed.

Oplan Tokhang is a concocted Visayan word which means Tok-tok and Hangyo where police personnel knock the doors of a suspected drug user or pusher, asking him or her that he or she will surrender to the police in order that he or she will be monitored and assessed about his or her status. 

The program, that saw thousands of illegal drug peddlers and users assassinated and killed when they chose to fight, was suspended in January 30, 2017 after anti-drug police officers were accused of kidnapping and killing a South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo in October 2016 and even extorted monies to the family of the victim who did not know that Joo was already dead.

But Philippine National Police’s Chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa revived it last March 6 with another monicker as Tokhang Bravo or Oplan Double Barrel Reloaded.

“This time we will make sure it will be less bloody if not bloodless,” Dela Rosa vowed, promising that “Tokhang Part 2 Revisited” would target high-value drug suspects after proper “revalidation.”

Umayam said that Tokhang Part Two has new feature where a member of the religious sector who came from any denomination is brought by the police in meeting the drug suspect at his residence.

“Ang Tokhang Two naka-focus kami sa drug personality lang. Inaalam namin ang status ng drug personality kung sila ay nagbago na o bumalik sa dating nilang bisyo,” the chief of police, a member of the Philippine National Academy’s Class of 2000, explained in the vernacular.