Pubdate: Fri, 25 Jun 2004
Source: Visayan Daily Star (Philippines)
Copyright: 2004 Visayan Daily Star
Contact:  http://www.visayandailystar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1688
Author: Gilbert Bayoran

FOUR COPS DISMISSED IN WV FOR DRUG LINKS

VICTORIAS CITY - Four Western Visayas policemen were dismissed recently for 
links to the illegal drug trade and for using prohibited drugs, Region 6 
police director George Alino said yesterday.

Alino also encouraged anybody who has knowledge of involvement of policemen 
in the illegal drug trade, to coordinate with his office.

The Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operations Task Force reported that 13 of 99 
policemen assigned in Region 6 either served as protectors of drug gangs 
and syndicates, or were drug dependents themselves.

Supt. Mark Edison Belarma, acting provincial police director, also 
confirmed that three policemen in Negros Occidental with alleged links to 
the drug trade have been placed under surveillance.

Alino yesterday refused to confirm or deny the claims of the AIDSOT, but 
said that if there are names, they can start investigation and surveillance 
on the suspected policemen. "We need witnesses to pursue our case. We 
cannot just announce their names, tell them that we will dismiss them, and 
yet, we don't have enough evidence," he said.

Somebody has to come out in the open and give testimonies, Alino added.

Lifestyle checks on 99 policemen have already been ordered by PNP deputy 
chief Edgar Aglipay, who is also the AIDSOT task group commander.

Alino raised the possibility of the resurfacing of drug gangs, with two to 
seven members, after a lull in the anti-drug campaign in Western Visayas, 
since focus was on election duties for several months.

Definitely, they are going to be neutralized, he added.

In Negros Occidental, 127 of the 153 identified drug personalities were 
already neutralized through their arrest, Supt. Mark Edison Belarma, acting 
provincial police director, said.

Belarma also reported the clearing of 176 of the 201 drug-affected 
barangays in the province from June 2003 to May 31 this year.

The Police Regional Office 6 is targeting the clearing of the remaining 90 
drug affected barangays in Western Visayas, 25 of which are in Negros 
Occidental, in three to four months.*GPB
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