TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Aug. 9 (PNA) — Amid Capitol’s aggressive drive against illegal drugs, contraband still managed to find its way to high-profile office—no less the pre-session cubicle of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
The find of at least three packs of shabu on July 16 under the sala set in the ante-room of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall where the board members would hold pre-sessions slipped the public’s prying eyes until the privilege speech of SP Member Dionisio Balite during the regular session on August 7.
The three packs of shabu that a staff of Vice-Governor Conching Lim found could no longer be traced as of now.
In response to Balite’s inquiry, the vice governor said they had been turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) already for laboratory test and other procedure, but there has been no update yet until now.
“If and when there was a laboratory test on the contents of the three sachets and proves positive of an illegal drug, then it reveals how widespread illegal drugs had gone into our province. There can no longer be an excuse or reason to lean on to this generalization,” according to Balite.
However, none of the PDEA agents, not even PDEA-Bohol Provincial Officer Jigger Juniller has knowledge about the three packs of shabu found in the ante-room of the SP ante-room.
Juniller advised Chronicle to check it with the other PDEA agents, but PDEA Agent Erwin Purisima said there has been no such report received at their office.
Purisima said an incident report could have been prepared had it been turned over to their office.
He explained that in such incident, they would prepare the documents for the items found to be submitted to the crime laboratory for a test to determine if they were shabu.
Purisima also noted that his higher official, Agent Ma. Chona Egam, did not even mentioned about the incident during the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting on August 5.
The disclosure of packs of shabu found inside the Sangguniang Panlalawigan premises prompted Balite to challenge the provincial leadership to tighten the watch.
Balite raised a concern on the vulnerability of the Capitol premises to the entry of drugs even to high-profile cubicles.
“Imagine, right at the doorsteps of the seat of our provincial government, sachets of illegal drugs are found? This can no longer be ignored. Neither could this be left to one’s imagination only! It’s already for real!” Balite said.
He urged that a thorough investigation on the incident be immediately initiated, expressing lament that the contraband slipped right into the lawmakers’ chamber.
“This representation calls on the provincial leadership to have a hard hand on this. Lame excuses are no longer the order of the day. Not only the future of our province is at stake. Remained unstopped, this representation believes, the future of our young generation is doomed,” Balite pointed out. (PNA)