“PROJECT TOKHANG”OF

ROSARIO POLICE STATION

 Published on December 12, 2016

Maria Jesusa Pajarillo

FollowMaria Jesusa Pajarillo
Deputy Chief of Police at Rosario Police Station

Project “TOKHANG”, a contraction of “TOKTOK” and “HANGYO”-

Visayan words as “KNOCK” and “REQUEST”, respectively- refers to
the strategy of the Philippine National Police where law enforcers go
house-to-house visitations in their area of responsibility and convince
identified drug pushers and drug users to surrender and put an end to
their illegal activities. Project “TOKHANG” is a practical and realistic
approach to accelerate the drive against illegal drugs most specifically in
the drug-affected communities.

In the municipality of Rosario, La Union, there were Two hundred

eighty four (284) total number of surrenderers as of December 12, 2016,
all of them finished the processing and documentation of data. Among
the 284, a total of One hundred ninety eight (198) undergone one week
Community-Based Enhancement Program known as DUPeD (Drug
Users, Peddlers and Dependents) Training, a joint venture of Rosario, La
Union LGU and Rosario Police Station. DUPeD Training includes
among others: Spiritual enhancement where speakers from different
religious denominations such as Roman Catholic, Iglesia Ni Cristo
(INC), Baptist Church and Born Again Sector share their Christian
ideology of faith, love and hope, Personality Development where
participants were taught on proper grooming, Health Awareness where
participants undergo Medical Check-up Examination with free
medicines and vitamins likewise taught on the Ill Effects of drugs, Legal
Mandates where participants learn salient features of Republic Act 9165,
“Project Double Barrel” and “Project TOKHANG”, Community Service
where participants join with other stakeholders in River Clean-up drive/
Costal Clean-up and Sports Development where participants join
“friendly” basketball games versus personnel of the Rosario Police
Station/ Bureau of Fire Protection (Rosario Chapter) and LGUs, jogging
and ZUMBA. Aforesaid DUPeD Training comprised of four (4) batches
with sixty two participants on 1st Batch, fifty five (55) participants on
2nd Batch, fifty five (55) participants on 3rd Batch and twenty six (26)
participants on 4th Batch. At present, these surenderers participated
Christmas Parol Making Contest with theme: “Himig ng Pasko ungo sa
Tunay na Pagbabago” initiated by Rosario Police Station where their
respective Parol were made of indigenous materials/scrap materials
displayed in front of Rosario Police Station. The Parol made by the
surenderers is a sign of brotherhood, camaraderie and esprit d’
corpsamong themselves and symbolizes their societal belongingness.
For participants who had undergone DUPeD Training, proposed
vocational/skill training sponsored by the TESDA which will convene
on the 3rd week of December depending on the surenderer’s choice:
Automotive, Electrical Wiring Leading to Automotive, Carpentry ,
Plumbing and Fish Processing and the like to train them. Afterwhich,
Rosario LGU in coordination with the Municipal Social and Welfare
Development (MSWD), the participants be given a chance for a
livelihood project and job fair for possible employment depending upon
approval.

Rosario Police Station is sincere in pro-active implementation of

President Duterte’s advocacy in war against illegal drugs. Our personnel
follow Rules of Engagement in conducting police operations and ensure
that the rights of individuals’ subject of operations are properly
observed. Specifically, Rosario Police Station will not engage of
Summary Execution of identified drug traders/pushers and users.

Admitting that there are still newly identified drug personalities who
didn’t surrender plus unidentified personalities not included at Rosario
Police Station’s Watchlist, the role of MADAC with the aid of
concerned community residents and confidential informants to report to
Rosario Police Station the suspected pushers, runners, users or traders.
For some especially those whose names were just implicated in their
alleged involvement in their alleged peddling and/or use of drugs are
facbricated and far from reality. Moreso, information divulged from
drug personalities and other sources requires in-depth validation and
careful analysis. In this context, identified drug personalities regardless
of societal category from bourgeois to the lowest class, regardless of
position/ designation in the government or business entities are not
excused in the documentation process and community-based
enhancement programs initiated by Rosario LGU and Rosario Police
Station- a proof that the war against illegal drugs in the municipality of
Rosario in its’ advocacy to become a total DRUG-FREE municipality.

The transit of illegal drugs to Rosario, La Union is accessible e.g. from

the neighboring towns from Pangasinan via Sison, Rabon, Pugo/Baguio
via Alipang and Saytan, Ilocos via Damortis, La Union. In some cases,
the municipality of Rosario became the dumping site of victims of
vigilante-style killings or unexplained killings which cannot be
attributed to the war against drugs unless determined through proper
investigation.

Project “TOKHANG” will never be an ending story. As long as there are

those identified drug personalities who don’t surrender nor snub the
advocacy to the war against illegal drugs and those newly identified drug
personalities, Rosario Police Station continuously and religiously will
knock to their respective houses to persuade them to have a new life.
Until such a time that all affected barangays are already DRUG-FREE-
ultimately municipality of Rosario, La Union will be a DRUG-FREE
municipality and safe place to live and do business!