Manila Mayor Joseph "Erap" Estrada already called for the immediate arrest of the 16 government officials and policemen who were tagged for their involvement in drugs.
Erap stated that he ordered the Manila Police District (MPD) police director Senior Superintendent Joel Coronel to conduct the operation against the said 16 high-value targets (HVTs).
Coronel reported that the 16 HVTs include some public servants from the Philippine National Police (PNP), the city hall, barangay, and national government offices based in Manila.
"They're both elected and appointed (officials). Some are drug users, coddlers, traffickers, or protectors, including from the PNP," Coronel said.
He even explained that they are monitoring the government officials and as soon as the involvement is verified, an operation would be carried out against them. Coronel added that the names were given by arrested drug suspects and backed up by records from the MPD's Anti-Illegal Drugs Division and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
The MPD already counted 38 drug suspects in Manila who were arrested over the past two weeks while 200 surrendered voluntarily on anti-drug and criminality operations.
"We will support you all the way. We will provide whatever you need, so long as these targets are put behind bars," Estrada said.
The office of the Mayor allotted P20 million worth of brand new firearms for Manila policemen and approved the acquiring of a P45 million-worth allowance of Manila's 4,652-man police force.
Source: netizensph
