RESIDENTIAL enclaves of the rich are not exempted from the police’s anti-drug drive.
This was stressed by the Southern Police District (SPD) on Monday as it conducted a “reinvigorated” “Oplan Tokhang” operation, distributing flyers to residents of gated subdivisions and calling on them to support the government campaign against illegal drugs.
Tokhang roughly translates to “knock and persuade,” and police knocked on the doors of homes at Forbes Park and Magallanes Village in Makati City (Metro Manila).
But unlike the typically bloody operations in squatter communities where drug suspects had refused to turn themselves in, police visited the rich villages in a friendly and peaceful manner.
In fact, police even coordinated with homeowners’ associations before conducting Oplan Tokhang.
Sr. Supt. Tomas Apolinario, acting SPD director, said the police’s different treatment of the rich and poor should not be compared.
There were no Forbes and Magallanes residents on the drug watch list, he pointed out.
Police just gave pamphlets and flyers to residents, asking them to report suspicious activities.
Forbes residents include ambassadors.
“Why there are fatalities in some areas? It’s not our fault, they are resisting. In this area (Makati villages), we coordinate, at the same time, there is no resistance,” Apolinario said.
Village heads Evangeline Manotok of Forbes Park and Armando Padilla of Magallanes Village said there were no reports of drug pushers or users in their respective areas.
Three weeks ago, police went to Urdaneta Village and San Lorenzo Village in Makati.
The SPD is also coordinating with other subdivisions, such Dasmariñas Village and Bel-Air, also in Makati, for police visits.
Makati City Mayor Mar-Len Abigail Binay earlier called on the residents of gated communities to be “more cooperative” in the campaign against illegal drugs.