About 1,500 persons involved in illegal drugs in Bacolod City are expected to gather at the BAYS Center today for an orientation on the anti-drug campaign of the Duterte administration and the various rehabilitation programs they may avail of from the government. The event called Ang Pagtipon Para sa Pagbag-o (A Gathering for Change) will start at 8 a.m. and run until 12 noon. Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday said they have invited these drug users and pushers, who have surrendered to authorities, because they will be presented the drug rehabilitation program of the city. PNP Director General Ronald “Bato” De la Rosa has confirmed to Leonardia that he is coming to the assembly today. The orientation will be attended by officials of the city government, Philippine National Police and Department of Health and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. “This is the first time we are doing something like this,” Leonardia said. These surrenderees need to be processed in order to know their state of drug dependency – that is, whether mild, moderate or severe, he said. Leonardia said they have initial information from the DOH that they plan to convert district hospitals in Negros and Panay into rehabilitation centers. “We hope all local governments will avail of this because we know this will be very expensive to maintain,” he said But the city will focus on the mildly and moderately affected, Leonardia said. They will select 50 volunteers, who will make up the first batch to undergo the out-patient rehabilitation program patterned after that of Rep. Arnie Teves (Neg. Or, 3 rd District) which is being run by the Province of Negros Occidental with the hope that later on they will become future lecturers or counselors because the figures are overwhelming, he said. Leonardia said they will take this step by step. “But we believe that if we succeed in the first step we can expand faster,” he said. Based on records of the Bacolod City Police Office there are about 2,473 surrenderees under Oplan Tokhang. Registration will start at 8 a.m. to be handled by Police Supt. Levy Pangue, monitoring-in-charge of Project Double Barrel; followed by the welcome address by Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, presentation of surrenderees by acting Bacolod Police director Senior Supt. Flynn Dongbo, inspirational message by Leonardia, and audio-video presentation of the evils of drug abuse by executive assistant Rodel Parcon. Elmer Pama, drug rehabilitation crusader, will speak on “Rehabilitation as a way to freedom from addiction”, while the DOH will handle the screening process to identify mild, moderate and severe cases of drug dependency. Meanwhile, Leonardia said he will choose Dongbo as Police Chief of Bacolod if his name will be among those officially recommended to him. He will wait for the official list. “I am satisfied with his performance and if given a chance by authorities, I intend to make him our regular Chief of Police,” he said.*CGS
BACOLOD City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said he believes the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will dismiss the recount petition filed by his opponent businessman Vladimir Gonzalez. Familiaran, who attended the pre-trial conference held at Comelec Manila Tuesday, said on Thursday the legal counsel of Gonzalez failed to present the documentary evidence. The conference was attended by Commissioners Luie Tito Guia, Arthur Lim, and Rowena Guanzon. However, Guanzon chose to inhibit herself from tackling the case against Familiaran and Mayor Evelio Leonardia because she is also from Negros Occidental. Gonzalez, who failed to attend, was represented by his lawyer. Defeated candidates of Pamilya Magbinuligay Kita Para sa Kauswagan (MKK) led by then Mayor Monico Puentevella and Gonzalez filed an electoral protest, with petition for manual recount, before the Comelec. Familiaran’s pre-trial conference was separate from Leonardia’s recount protest hearing. After the pre-trial conference, Familiaran said the Comelec will release the resolution after two or three weeks whether to dismiss or grant the recount petition. “I am very confident that the Comelec will dismiss the recount petition for lack of valid grounds,” Familiaran said. “When Gonzalez’s legal counsel was asked by the Comelec commissioners about the grounds for recount, fraud, and discrepancies, they failed to present the documentary evidence,” he said. He added they will respect the decision of the Comelec. Sun Star Bacolod By MERLINDA A. PEDROSA |
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