The resignation came following the call of Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on all full-fledged police colonels and generals in the country to submit a courtesy resignation to cooperate with the Marcos administration’s new strategy in the fight against illegal drugs.
Brig. Gen. Benjamin Silo Jr., the regional director of Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 who led the signing of their courtesy resignation said they unanimously support Abalos' call.
“I talk to Colonels and Generals of PRO 11 , we are in unison in supporting the SILG to tender our courtesy resignation. We set aside legalities and we do it purely on moral stands and as a challenge to our character. I think this is one sure way for us to occupy the moral high ground on the campaign against illegal drugs,” Silo said in a media interview Friday morning (Jan. 6).
Silo assured the public that the men and women of PRO 11 occupy the moral high ground in the PNP's campaign against illegal drugs, saying none of them are involved in illegal drugs.
“Yes, to PNP internal cleansing,” he said.
Among those who also submitted their courtesy resignation were Brigadier General Alexander Tagum, director of Metropolitan Davao Police District (MDPD), Brigadier General Reynaldo Dela Cruz, acting director of Regional Internal Affairs Service (RIAS) 11, Davao City Police Office (DCPO) chief Colonel Alberto Lupaz, and all police provincial directors of Region 11.
Silo also assured the public that police operations in Davao Region will not be affected since those who resigned will continue doing their job pending acceptance of their resignation by the five- man committee.
“We will be occupying the same position. We will just be awaiting the evaluation of the five man committee,” he said.
In fact, according to Silo, they will strengthen the campaign against illegal drugs.
The police will also lengthen the coverage of its Simultaneous Anti-Criminality Law Enforcement Operations (SACLEO).
Silo, meanwhile, vowed to continue arresting high value individuals who are involved in illegal drug trade.
“This is one way of killing the supply of drugs and we intend to cater more on the demand reduction activities,” he said.
DILG has initiated its own program, the BIDA program and PRO 11 fully support this, he said.
“We will be going to different schools. We will be tapping the communities, the academe, the churches, believing that we alone in the PNP cannot solve this problem, we really have to tap the community,” Silo further said.
Silo said Davao Region is fortunate compared to other regions in terms of illegal drug supply.
“If you look at the problem in the supply of drugs, we seldom seize an amount exceeding one hundred grams. It goes to show that the source of drugs does not come with the Davao Region,” he said.
He said most of the drugs came from the nearby regions. Thus, they really have to strengthen the borders in order to prevent the entry of illegal drugs in Davao Region.
Photo from PRO 11
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