HIKE IN REWARDS FOR SNITCHING ON DRUG PUSHERS, CRIMINALS PUSHED IN BAGUIO

August 20, 2022 Metro BLISTT

BAGUIO CITY – Baguio City Councilor Jose Molintas is proposing a hike on the reward for “snitchs” on drug pushers leading to their arrest, prosecution, and conviction, including those that are in the list of Ten Most Wanted Criminals in the city. The proposal seeks to amend Section 2 of Ordinance 15-2014 raising the reward from P2,000.00 to P5,000.00.

The reward shall be given upon the certification by the city director of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) that the
said informer has given information that led to the apprehension and prosecution of the accused. The proposed amendment has already been approved on first reading and referred to the Sanggunian’s Committee on Appropriations and Finance for review.

“By experience, the informants are not willing to publicly identify themselves and testify in court after giving
information leading to the arrest of any person involved in the commission of heinous crimes for fear of reprisal or retaliation from the accused or from his relatives or subordinates,” Molintas, a veteran lawyer said. Under Ordinance 15-2014, an informant is given an additional amount of P10,000.00 upon conviction of the accused through their (informant’s) testimony.

This provision however is not part of the proposed amendment. Pursuant to Section 1 of the existing ordinance,
P150,000.00 from the annual budget of the city government is appropriated to serve as a fund for rewards to informants who come forward with information about drug pushers and other “authors of heinous crimes
committed in the city.” This provision is also not included in the proposed amendment. In its explanatory note, the
ordinance recognized that the problem of drug addiction “has reached epidemic proportions.” “Unless the city takes positive measures to ensure the participation of the constituency, efforts towards the solution of the pressing
problem will prove futile,” it acknowledged.

Meanwhile, the Baguio police vows to stamping down illegal drugs as it notes that over the past six months, according to City Director Col. Glen Lonogan, the police was able to conduct at least 119 anti-drug operations where 114 drug individuals were arrested and a total of 221.3723 grams of shabu, 921.04 grams of marijuana and 585 ml. of marijuana oil with a total market value of Php 1,725,531.88 were seized.

The other day, four young boys were caught with marijuana leaves at the Ibaloi Park within the Burnham Park
complex. Two weeks ago, NBI and PDEA agents raided a drug den in Irisan barangay, the third drug den dismantled in just two months in the city, and took its operator-maintainer and three customers-drug dependents to face drug raps.

Artemio A. Dumlao/ABN