Songs entice drug users, pushers to surrender in Davao del Norte

POLICEMEN in Kapalong town in Davao del Norte province serenade a community where a drug suspect lives. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

TAGUM CITY—As the war against illegal drugs took a brutal, and often left a bloody trail across the country, police in Kapalong town in Davao del Norte province have found a novel way of softening suspects up: serenading and asking them to surrender.

Since Tuesday, members of the Kapalong police station have been visiting drug-affected communities.

With guitars and portable sound systems in tow, they belt out “Magbago Ka,” a classic Freddie Aguilar song about turning a new leaf, outside the houses of identified drug personalities.

Called “Oplan Mañanita,” the initiative was Kapalong’s version of the Philippine National Police’s “Oplan Tokhang” (Toktok-Hangyo), an antidrug campaign started in Davao City and was now being implemented nationwide—where law enforcers knock on the doors of drug suspects and plead for them to turn their backs from illegal drugs.

“We came up with the idea of softening it up, so we decided to incorporate harana (serenade) to our tokhang,’” said Chief Insp. Michael Seguido, Kapalong police chief.

The sessions would usually start around 4 a.m., and wind up several hours later after Seguido had talked to those who came out of the target houses.

“After the singing and those inside would open the door for us, we would then tell the concerned person that he or she has been included in our list of drug personalities in the community. Initially the subject denies but when we show evidence of his involvement, like pictures, he then acknowledges it,” Seguido told the Inquirer.

“We then ask them to stop their illegal activity and convince their associates to follow suit,” he added.

The list of persons to be serenaded usually comes from police intelligence or from barangay officials, Seguido said. There were also instances when parents themselves requested their office to serenade their children.

Seguido said his deputy had suggested the idea of innovating Oplan Tokhang and give it a “softer tune” during a meeting with members of the municipal and barangay antidrug councils in Kapalong early last week.

“It was a good idea because who would refuse to open his door when somebody was singing outside? It actually made our job easier and prevented resistance from the subject person,” he said.

The police official said the program was apparently successful in enticing drug suspects to turn themselves in.

As of Saturday morning, at least 721 drug users and pushers surrendered in Kapalong, a town known as one of the huge markets for illegal drugs, particularly “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride), in Davao del Norte due to the presence of workers in banana plantations there, police said.

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