Two posh Makati City Villages finally opened their gates to policemen conducting “Oplan Tokhang,” the government’s war against illegal drugs.
On Monday, members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) led by Senior Superintendent Tomas Apolinario conducted door-to-door information drive to residents of Forbes Park and Magallanes Village, covering 26 households.
Joint teams from SPD and city police handed out leaflets and flyers containing information on illegal drugs and their ill effects, hotlines and mobile numbers of the nearest police community precinct to residents of the said villages who responded to their knocks at the gates.
Barangay officials and representatives of the respective homeowners’ associations also joined the drive which they also call “Kapit-Bisig Kontra Droga.”
In Barangay Forbes Park, Ambassador Ralte Laldhuthlana of the Embassy of India even invited barangay chair Evelyn Manotoc, Apolinario, and Makati police chief Col. Rommil Mitra to come in.
Makati Mayor Abby Binay said the anti-drug drive in the two villages was a good sign and she expects similar door-to-door campaigns to be conducted in the other villages as well.
“I commend the barangay leaders and residents of the six villages in the city for weighing in on the ongoing war against drugs. I hope this is the beginning of your sustained cooperation and support to the campaign,” Binay said.
Earlier, the mayor appealed to the village officials and residents to allow the police to conduct Oplan Tokhang inside their subdivisions, following a report that only one exclusive village, Magallanes, had permitted the said operation.
“The war against drugs can only be won if we extend our full cooperation with the police, especially in locating known pushers and users in our own backyard,” she said.
Prior to the joint information drive, officers of the Makati Police, barangay officials and representatives of the homeowners’ associations of the six villages and other stakeholders have agreed to the anti-illegal drug information campaign, Liga ng mga Barangay president Councilor Armand Padilla, who is also chair of Brgy. Magallanes said.
(ANA LIZA V. ALAVAREN)