With a year that saw responsibility over the ongoing war on illegal drugs switch hands between the Philippine National Police (PNP) to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to a collaboration between the two agencies, the Antique Police Provincial Office (APPO) recently reported a total 1,738 drug personalities surrendered to authorities in 2017.

During Rizal Day rites earlier this month, Police Regional Office-6 (PRO-6) director, Police Chief Superintendent Cesar Hawthorne Binag, noted 40 percent of surrendered drug personalities are young people.

“We cannot let our youths navigate the road to positive change by themselves,“ he said. “We have to share our wisdom with them.”

Meanwhile, in terms of ensuring credibility in the drug war, Binag previously revealed community surveys were being utilized.

He explained, surveys are distributed throughout various communities where locals provide information on individuals who may be of questionable integrity.

“Everybody – even me, I subject myself to validation,” Binag affirmed. “There is no excuse because the question here is the credibility of the police.”/PLL, WDJ