LUCENA CITY — You may not notice them when you drive along the Maharlika Highway and other roads in Quezon province, but reformed drug users and pushers would be there to assist motorists during the Holy Week trek.
Senior Supt. Rhoderick Armamento, Quezon police director, said the reformed addicts and pushers would be “manning the frontline” along highways and in ports, terminals and tourist destinations, distributing flyers on safety and giving emergency assistance.
Armamento said the former users and pushers were tapped to help them erase the stigma of their drug past and give them “renewed self-esteem and importance” in the government-private sector campaign.
‘Not useless’
“At least we can show to the community that we are not the useless evil pest that they want to get rid of,” said Mario, a former “shabu” (crystal meth) user and pusher in Laguna.
Police records showed that at least 25,190 users and pushers in Quezon surrendered to authorities since the start of President Duterte’s massive campaign against illegal drugs.
Most have been training on disaster preparedness and first aid response under the police and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s “Yakap Bayan” program.
Armamento said the drug suspects would serve as police partners in making highways, popular picnic areas and religious shrines safer for tourists and pilgrims.
“They will be our extra hands,” Armamento said.
The Quezon police’s “Blue Riders,” a team of 50 motorcycle-riding policemen, had also been deployed to the Maharlika Highway and other major roads in the province to protect travelers.
The “Quezon Citizen Bike on Patrol,” founded last year, would also help.
Command posts
This year, “Project Sumvac” (summer vacation), would have a command post at the Quezon police headquarters in Camp Nakar.
Every municipality would have “incident command posts.”
Police and traffic authorities expected a heavy volume of vehicles on the Maharlika Highway this Holy Week starting on Monday and to peak on Wednesday and Thursday.
150-km highway
The 150-kilometer Maharlika Highway runs from the Quezon-Laguna boundary in Tiaong town to the Quezon-Bicol boundary in Calauag town.
The highway had recently been improved and widened.
Armamento also appealed to local government traffic enforcers to strictly implement laws on road safety.
He appealed to motorists passing through Maharlika Highway to obey traffic laws and signs.