BACOLOD CITY – The police chief here said four villages, some along the coastlines, have been identified as priority areas in the government’s intensified anti-drug campaign.
Police Col. Henry Biñas said Banago village tops the list of focus areas along with Villages 1, 2, and 3 that form a continuous area in the northern side here.
Biñas told DNX “focus” areas mean the police will intensify their intelligence and community relations operations in these villages.
Police hauled at least P13 million worth of suspected shabu during various operations in Banago last year.
Village 1 was third in the top five list while Village 2 was fifth.
Local drug czar and operations chief, Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido, had conducted a forum in Banago two weeks ago after he issued a warning to crime groups in the city to stop their illegal operations.
Based on the 2015 census, the three villages have a combined population of 37,000 residents, most of whom live in poverty.
Convicted drug trafficker Jose Kim “Boy” Cuadra was a resident of Village 2 before he was captured and sentenced by a court in Kalibo City to a jail term of life imprisonment.
