Army, PNP officials sign JLOI on anti-drug, anti crime drive

KORONADAL CITY -- Police and military authorities in Central Mindanao region have literally joined forces to sustain the government's campaign against criminality and illegal drugs, a police sopkesperson on Thursday said.Supt. Romeo Galgo Jr, spokesperson for police in the SOCCSKSARGEN region, said the partnership was formalized during the signing of Joint Letter of Instruction (JLOI) Wednesday at PRO-12 regional office in Barangay Tambler, Gen. Santos City.The JLOI was signed by PRO-12 Regional Director Chief Supt. Cedrick Train for the PNP and Colonel Manolo Samarita, 602nd Infantry Brigade commander, representing the military.Chief Supt. Train has administrative and operational control of all police units in the provinces of North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Saranggani and the cities therein.Colonel Samarita, who represented the 6th Infantry Division, has supervision over three Army battalions in North Cotabato. The 6th ID has jurisdiction over Army and Marine forces in the provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato.Supt. Galgo said the JLOI aims to strengthen the Project Double Barrel Alpha against criminality and illegal drugs campaign which is now focused on High Value Targets (HVT).The JLOI also clearly defines Army and police cooperation in the conduct of safe operation in barangay drug clearing operations, particularly in high risk villahes where there are sighted presence of rebel groups. It is more on execution, security and safety of operation, Senior Supt. Leonardo Suan, PRO-12 deputy director for operations, said.Suan stressed that a drug-free country should mean a drug-free family and a drug-free community.Train said that the community plays huge role in this campaign. There is really a need for community and stakeholders huge support and coordination with the PNP to completely perform its mandate to put an end to illegal drugs and criminality in the region, Train said of the joint campaign.The war on drugs have been gaining ground, destroying the web of cooperation and operation of illegal drug lords. The police are now on high morale with the President behind them at all cost, Galgo explained in previous interviews, referring to President Duterte's directive to police, during his visit last month in PRO-12 regional office, to neutralize, destroy and bring before the bar of justice personalities involved in illegal drugs.In Region 12, at least 76 persons have been killed during legitimate police anti-drug operations.