THE Philippine National Police-Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG) said it was making a paradigm shift in its approach to combating illegal drugs.
Gone are the days when daily news carried accounts of suspected users and pushers being gunned down on the streets.
This time around, authorities are zooming in on community engagements to address the root causes of drug abuse and addiction. By fostering collaboration and empowering communities, the group advocates a holistic approach to tackling a multifaceted problem.
During The Manila Times Roundtable discussions on May 20, Cpl. Francis Alura of the PNP-DEG Special Operations Unit in Metro Manila said this shift marks a significant juncture in the country's battle against drug use and trafficking and aligns with the government's holistic approach to combating illegal drugs.
Alura said although the PNP-DEG has long recognized the importance of community engagement with various outreach programs conducted since June 2020, it was just recently that authorities made an all-out effort to reduce demand at the level of a village.
"These community engagements are what we call demand reduction," he said.
Police Corporal Francis Allura of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group answers questions from The Manila Times reporters Kristina Maralit, Arlie Calalo and Franco Baroña during an interview held inside the TMT newsroom on May 20, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Police Corporal Francis Allura of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group answers questions from The Manila Times reporters Kristina Maralit, Arlie Calalo and Franco Baroña during an interview held inside the TMT newsroom on May 20, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Police Corporal Francis Allura of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group answers questions from The Manila Times reporters Kristina Maralit, Arlie Calalo and Franco Baroña during an interview held inside the TMT newsroom on May 20, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Police Corporal Francis Allura of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group answers questions from The Manila Times reporters Kristina Maralit, Arlie Calalo and Franco Baroña during an interview held inside the TMT newsroom on May 20, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Police Corporal Francis Allura of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group answers questions from The Manila Times reporters Kristina Maralit, Arlie Calalo and Franco Baroña during an interview held inside the TMT newsroom on May 20, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Police Corporal Francis Allura of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group answers questions from The Manila Times reporters Kristina Maralit, Arlie Calalo and Franco Baroña during an interview held inside the TMT newsroom on May 20, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Police Corporal Francis Allura of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group answers questions from The Manila Times reporters Kristina Maralit, Arlie Calalo and Franco Baroña during an interview held inside the TMT newsroom on May 20, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Police Corporal Francis Allura of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group answers questions from The Manila Times reporters Kristina Maralit, Arlie Calalo and Franco Baroña during an interview held inside the TMT newsroom on May 20, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Police Corporal Francis Allura of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group answers questions from The Manila Times reporters Kristina Maralit, Arlie Calalo and Franco Baroña during an interview held inside the TMT newsroom on May 20, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Police Corporal Francis Allura of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group answers questions from The Manila Times reporters Kristina Maralit, Arlie Calalo and Franco Baroña during an interview held inside the TMT newsroom on May 20, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO
Alura is one of the members of the PNP-DEG who conducts lectures in villages throughout Metro Manila on the negative effects of being involved in illegal drugs.
Initially, such engagements were limited to distributing fliers and sporadic anti-drug seminars.
Now, said Alura, they carry out drug awareness lectures and seminars that sometimes run for as long as two hours.
He said they invite village officials and personnel, their constituents, those who were involved in illegal drugs, and even persons who are included in the drugs watch list.
Aside from these village seminars, the PNP-DEG also engages with students as early as those still in the elementary level.
Dubbed Resistance Education Against Drugs for the Youth, or Ready, the project is a tool to increase the understanding of the youth about the consequences of using illegal drugs and learning different preventive strategies and techniques to say no to all forms of illegal substances.
The project is classroom-based and divided into four sessions.
"Students learn and develop life skills such as obedience to the law and considering consequences and combating pressure to use drugs by saying no," he said.
Alura said they also conduct community outreach programs and undertakings that are slowly bringing back the trust and confidence in uniformed personnel.
It is expected that such programs will be strengthened following the call issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the PNP to become "agents of progressive transformation in the lives of our people."
Read The Rest at :
