COPS TURN KIDS INTO INFORMANTS

[Alfa]

COPS TURN KIDS INTO INFORMANTS


BAGUIO CITY: The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has tapped high-school students as undercover informants after the agency confirmed that marijuana pushers are targeting high-school students.


Supt. Danilo Flordeliza, PDEA director, confirmed the sale of marijuana to high-school students during the ceremonial burning of close to P5-million worth of marijuana at the People's Park Monday morning.


Flordeliza explained that he saw no violation in tapping selected students as informants, saying that the war against illegal drugs is the business not only of law-enforcement agencies but of the whole community.


He added that reliable tips from their informants have led to the arrest of suspected marijuana pushers victimizing high-school students. Protection will be extended to the informers.


The city council has requested the Baguio City Police to increase the number of policemen within the university belt to prevent crimes.


PDEA officials said they are validating a news report that marijuana is becoming a narcotic of choice among drugs users as a result of the campaign on methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) laboratories over the past years.


Law-enforcement agencies have shut down around 38 shabu laboratories since the discovery of a plant in Angeles City in 1997.


A PDEA officer, however, said that shabu use is increasing because it is more affordable. Previously, one gram of shabu sold for P2,500, now is only P2,000 in Manila and other highly-urbanized cities.


PDEA agents and Kalinga policemen have destroyed more than P40-million worth of marijuana in the hinterlands of Tinglayan. They failed to arrest the growers.


The bulk of marijuana supplies comes from the hinterlands of Kalinga, Benguet, Mountain Province and Ifugao.