Binay to press posh villages that won’t give drug watch list

MAKATI City Mayor Abigail Binay will sit down with officials of six exclusive villages to discuss why they have not submitted a watch list in connection with Oplan Tokhang, a controversial campaign of the Duterte administration that has prompted thousands of known drug users and pushers across the country to present themselves to the police.

“We want to find out more information from them. Why is it that they have none when so many have surrendered from other barangays?” the city government’s legal department chief, Michael Arthur Camiña, told the Inquirer on Tuesday.

A total of 1,049 persons with links to illegal drugs have voluntarily submitted themselves under the Oplan Tokhang in Makati City for the month of July. Of the number, 199 are pushers while 850 are users of illegal drugs.

In a statement, Binay reiterated her call for the residents and officials of the six villages to cooperate with the police.

“The cooperation and support of all barangay leaders are necessary to sustain the antidrug campaign. We should all work together to ensure drug-free communities in Makati,” she said.

In a report to the mayor, Makati police chief Senior Supt. Rommil Mitra said there were still no “surrenderers” from the exclusive villages of Magallanes, Dasmariñas, Forbes, San Lorenzo, Urdaneta and Bel-air despite constant coordination with the respective barangay chiefs.

Except for Magallanes, the barangay captains of these villages issued a certification saying that there were no drug pushers or users monitored in their area.

What the cops want

Under Oplan Tokhang, policemen will knock on doors of drug suspects based on the watch list provided by the barangay. Those who will “surrender” are expected to sign an affidavit admitting their illegal activity.

They also have to provide the police with information regarding their source of illegal drugs and vow to change their ways.

BINAY

But a growing number of surrenderers in Metro Manila were later shot dead in vigilante-style killings, which critics say were encouraged by President Duterte’s “shoot-to-kill” pronouncements against drug suspects.

Based on the latest Makati police records, Barangay South Cembo yielded the most number of pushers (25), followed by Rizal (23) and West Rembo (14).

The most number of users were recorded in Barangay Pembo (91), Pitogo (71) and South Cembo (55).

Late last month, the Inquirer reported that the Makati police had been unable to take Tokhang to the gated communities after the village officials issued “certifications”  that they have no drug suspects among their residents.