CEBU CITY鈥擣ailure to coordinate almost led to a misencounter between agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) and the Mobile Patrol Group (MPG) during a drug operation on Tres de Abril Street in Barangay (village) Labangon, Cebu City聽on Friday聽afternoon.
Senior Supt. Joel Doria, director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said policemen assigned at the MPG responded to a call from a concerned citizen regarding the presence of a man carrying a high-powered firearm in the area.
Police responded about聽2 p.m.聽and confronted the man who turned out to be a PDEA-7 agent who was in the area along with other agents to conduct a drug bust.
Doria said PDEA-7 did not coordinate with the police before conducting the operation.
鈥淧DEA should have coordinated with us as a matter of protocol. If a misencounter transpired, there鈥檚 really no one to be blamed but them,鈥� he said in an interview.
Doria expressed dismay over PDEA-7鈥檚 failure to inform them before conducting the operation. 鈥淲hen we, the police, conduct an anti-drug operation, we always coordinate with PDEA. And now, here they come without even informing us,鈥� he said.
Reached for comment, PDEA-7 Director Yogi Filemon Ruiz said in a text message that he was in a middle of a meeting. RAM/rga