Mayor John Dalipe has once again declared his zero-tolerance policy against smuggling and illegal drugs trade as he vowed to eradicate these threats from the community.

He reported that in 2023, 65 total warrants of seizures were issued for cigarettes, resulting in the confiscation of 28,418 master cases and 3,614 reams of cigarettes amounting to a whooping P1,775,285,037.20.

Then, in December 2023, Zamboanga City witnessed its largest anti-illegal drug operation in history that yielded P47.6 million worth shabu.

To complement the campaign against illegal drugs, Dalipe said the PNP and PDEA had conducted 412 operations where 466 persons were arrested.

“We were able to confiscate 12.593 kilos of shabu with an estimated street value of 85.6 million,” Dalipe said in his second State of the City Address (SOCA) last Feb. 26, highlighting the 87th Dia de Zamboanga celebration.

Meanwhile, the local chief executive underscored the importance of security being the foundation of development in the region and the country as a whole, especially in Zamboanga City.

Thus, to enhance security in Zamboanga, the Dalipe administration is now constructing the 12th Police Station located in Barangay Talon-Talon, and is also allocating P20 million for the lot acquisition for the 13th Police Station possibly located in Manicahan or Cabaluay.

According to him, as a highly urbanized city, Zamboanga needs to have 20 police stations. At present, the city has 11 police stations strategically located from Vitali in the east coast to Labuan in the west coast.

This will increase the number of police personnel in Zamboanga City at 1,521 police at present with a ratio of 1 is to 657. The ideal ratio is 1 is to 500, the mayor said in his SOCA before members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod convening for their 19 th regular session.

Furthermore, the Dalipe administration has also been supporting various security agencies by bolstering their assets: P35,225,000 million for motorcycles, P3,900,000 million for ammunition, communication equipment, quince drones, ambulance, gasoline, and several other supplies.

The city government under Dalipe’s leadership is also complementing the capabilities of its Security and Surveillance Coordinating Office Command Center at the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) as it rolled out its State-of-the-Art Mobile Command Center.

The MCC features 30 camera feeds, a deployable camera post that is self-powered via solar panels and generator sets, with eight body cameras. It is also equipped with a drone that provides real-time video coverage that can help support police operations.-(Vic Larato)