Apparently, music can be used for law enforcement.
Amid the current administation’s crackdown on those involved in the illegal drug trade, police in the town of Kapalong, Davao del Norte are using a less intimidating way to urge suspects to surrender.
“Since last Tue, Jul 5, members of the Kapalong police station have been visiting drug-affected communities. With guitars and portable sound systems in tow, they belt out ‘Magbago Ka,’ a classic Freddie Aguilar song about turning a new leaf, outside the houses of identified drug personalities,” reports Frinston Lim in Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The report noted: “Called Oplan Mañanita, the initiative was Kapalong’s version of the Philippine National Police’s Oplan Tokhang (Toktok-Hangyo), an anti-drug campaign started in Davao City and was now being implemented nationwide—where law enforcers knock on the doors of drug suspects and plead for them to turn their backs from illegal drugs.”
Chief Insp. Michael Seguido, Kapalong police chief, explained, “We came up with the idea of softening it up, so we decided to incorporate harana (serenade) to our tokhang.”
The cops’ seranading sessions would usually start around 4 a.m., and wind up several hours later after Seguido had talked to those who came out of the target houses.
Seguido further revealed, “After the singing and those inside would open the door for us, we would then tell the concerned person that he or she has been included in our list of drug personalities in the community. Initially the subject denies but when we show evidence of his involvement, like pictures, he then acknowledges it. We then ask them to stop their illegal activity and convince their associates to follow suit.”
Seguido said the names of persons to be serenaded “usually comes from police intelligence or from barangay officials.” At times, the family members of the suspects would request the serenade.
As of Sat morning, Jul 9, at least 721 drug users and pushers surrendered in Kapalong.
