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| National Police Commission (Napolcom) chairman Ismael Sueño |
Digong is the President’s nickname.
DILG Secretary and concurrent National Police Commission (Napolcom) chairman Ismael Sueño said he would personally chair the newly created task force with DILG Undersecretary for Operations John Castriciones as deputy chair.
“With so many top government officials being linked to illegal drugs, Task Force Digong will seek to find the truth so that those who are guilty will face the full force of the law, while those who are innocent will be cleared,” he said.
Members of Task Force Digong include representatives from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC), Local Government Academy (LGA) and local government officials.
Sueño said the responsibility of the task force is to assist the Napolcom and other concerned government agencies in the investigation of government officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs.
Specifically, the task force shall conduct case build-up and gathering of evidence against involved government officials, conduct its own preliminary investigation and prepare a recommendation as a result of its findings.
The recommendation shall then be referred to the Napolcom or the appropriate government agency for filing of appropriate criminal and/or administrative charges, if applicable.
“The President has imposed a three- to six-month deadline against illegal drugs. TF Digong will help make this happen through better cooperation among agencies and faster, immediate action,” said Sueño.
The DILG secretary said Task Force Digong shall also assist in processing the surrender of individuals involved in illegal drugs, through coordination with the PNP, and refer the surrenderees to rehabilitation centers.
Castriciones said the task force members would regularly coordinate with relevant government agencies including the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) in the performance of its functions.
Task Force Digong will complement PNP’s Task Force Tokhang (knock and plead), the anti-drug campaign wherein police officers visit houses of people suspected of being involved in illegal drugs.
Another task force, Oplan Rody (Rid the Streets of Drinkers and Youth), sets a curfew for minors from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. and prohibits drinking of liquor in the streets and public places.
Chief Supt. Ericson Velasquez, officer-in-charge of the Directorate for Police Community Relations of the Philippine National Police, said the PNP is training police officers to be effective speakers to encourage the public to support the drive against illegal drugs, particularly shabu.
“(Illegal drugs) is a multi-billion industry (that) operates almost with impunity. There are very limited complaints about drug dealers. This makes illegal drug deals and consumption a victimless crime,” Velasquez said.
Velasquez said the PNP needs the support of the public to ensure the success of the campaign against the proliferation of illegal drugs.
