Pubdate: Sun, 17 Jul 2016
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer (Philippines)
Copyright: 2016 Philippine Daily Inquirer
Contact:  http://www.inquirer.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1073
Author: Chris Panganiban

EXTORTIONISTS TARGET DRUG SUSPECTS

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur - Authorities in Tandag City, Surigao 
del Sur province, have been receiving complaints about extortion 
targeting suspected drug users and pushers and threatening them with 
death if they failed to pay up to P50,000 each.

Tandag City Alexander Pimentel said in a radio interview that some 
people, who have been tagged as either users or pushers, have 
complained of getting text messages asking them to cough up cash or 
risk being killed as casualties of the war on drugs.

Pimentel said the text messages were apparently sent by con artists, 
who believe they can cash in on the Duterte administration's brutal 
campaign against drugs. Pimentel said he was unaware of how the drug 
suspects' numbers ended up in the hands of the con artists.

The mayor, however, said suspects should not fall for the trick.

He urged those who received the messages to report to him or to police.

In Rosario town, Agusan del Sur province, some residents said they 
also got similar text messages but that they were not asked to shell out cash.

Instead, they were warned of harm if they will not surrender through 
the police's "Toktok Hangyo" (Knock and Plead) campaign.

The messages forced the residents to present themselves to police 
even if they are not using or selling drugs, the reports said.

Senior Insp. Christopher John Viajar, the police chief of Rosario, 
said some people might have been taking advantage of the antidrug 
campaign to get even with individuals they have feuds with.

But Viajar said the police have a watch list, which was based on 
consolidated pieces of information gathered from monitoring and 
coordination with village officials.

He said all that those who received text messages have to do is 
coordinate with police to know for sure if they are, indeed, on the 
drug watch list.

In Bunawan town, also in Agusan del Sur, Mayor Edwin Elorde said 
authorities were serious in combating the drug problem.

"I assure you that in less than six months we can eradicate the 
illegal drug trade here," said Elorde, who personally supervises 
every buy-bust and drug raids in his town, during the mass surrender 
of at least 761 drug suspects on Friday.

Last year, the local government of Bunawan received citations from 
the Department of the Interior and Local Government for the most drug 
raids conducted in the entire Caraga region.

"Do not insult this program because we are really serious here. I'm 
not afraid of anybody here and I even dare pushers, who threatened to 
kill village chieftains, to a gun duel," Elorde said in a speech 
during the surrender rites.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom