CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – Four Mangyan tribesmen surrendered to police authorities in Naujan town last Thursday and admitted that they were also hooked on drugs.
Reports reaching the office of Chief Superintendent Wilben M. Mayor, regional director of PNP MIMAROPA (Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) indicated that the four Mangyans joined the 1,091 persons who trooped to the town’s gymnasium and pledged that they will cooperate with the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.
As part of protecting their safety and acknowledging their constitutional rights, Mayor did not name the Mangyans who all belong to the Alangan tribe, one of the eight indigenous people’s groups within the mountains of the Mindoro island.
Mayor cited the report of Naujan’s police chief, Supt. Eugene J. Orate which said that the oath taking ceremony of the “drug surrenderees” was held with Rev. Fr. Alejandro Gobenciong, SVD, the parish priest, and Naujan Mayor Mark N. Marcos in attendance.
Also present were Gracel Lano, spokesperson of Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA) – 4B who lectured on the provisions of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Drugs Law of 2002 and Honorata Manongsong, who discussed the possibility of enrolling the drug dependents in the local technical-vocational school as part of their rehabilitation.
Mayor said that since he assumed his post as acting regional director of PNP-MIMAROPA last July 4, he has directed his men to pursue an aggressive campaign against illegal drugs in compliance with the policy pronouncement of President Rodrigo R. Duterte and Chief PNP Director General Ronald M. de la Rosa. (Jerry J. Alcayde)