CEBU – The Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) has registered a total of 34,255 people, including 1,412 minors and 624 women, drug surrenderers from July to November 17 of this year.
The youngest drug surrender in Cebu started using shabu at the age of eight, according to data released by the CCPO.
Of the total surrenderers, 31,939 were classified as users while 2,316 were drug peddlers.
The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) acknowledged the involvement of youth in illegal drugs even before the massive drug operations.
PSWDO head Marivic Garces said the province is already coordinating with agencies, including the Department of Education, to lessen the involvement of children in illegal drugs.
The top reason given by these drug surrenderers on why they immediately responded to the call of PresIdent Rodrigo Duterte was their fear of getting killed, according to Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office head Ivy Durano-Meca.
Surprisingly, none of the 34,255 surrenderers has expressed desire to undergo drug treatment under the government’s rehabilitation efforts, Meca added.
CPPO Director Senior Supt. Eric Noble said at least 925 out of 1,066 barangays throughout the province are already affected by illegal drugs. (Mars W. Mosqueda)