Alvariño said Cebu comes next to the National Capital Region as the center of economic activities causing demands for illegal drugs to increase.

“Like NCR, Cebu has lots of night entertainment centers and call centers,” he said, but he added that so far no incidents of drug mules in the entire Central Visayas have been recorded.

Data from the PDEA shows that there were 689 drug mules arrested in different countries from 1993 up to the present.

Alvariño explained that women are usually used as drug couriers since they are better at hiding drugs and can easily get along with people.

Various task forces against drugs were created to apprehend the pushers and users, among these task forces are Task Force Drug Couriers, Operation Kabayan, Operation Home Run, and Operation Bull’s Eye.

Alvariño said that big-time drug suppliers prefer to invest in the country since Philippines has the highest price of shabu per kilo compared to other countries.

In PDEA value, a kilo of shabu amounts to more or less P7 million.

Evella Durato of Philippine Overseas Employment Agency-Visayas encouraged all Filipinos who are planning to work abroad not to be a part of any illegal activity.

She said all they can do is conduct a pre-departure seminar for OFWs who are about to leave the country to inculcate their responsibilities.

Durato also advised them not to accept take-home packages from friends since sometimes these are where drugs are placed.

“You have to check the packages you are bringing back to the country kay wala ta kahibawo nga ang sulod na diay ato kay drugs,” she said.

Meanwhile, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia expressed willingness to help the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency put up a drug laboratory at the Mactan Cebu International Airport.

Garcia described it as an “eye-opener” when the three kilos of powdery substance confiscated from the two Chinese nationals at the Mactan Cebu International Airpor turned to be negative of precursors to illegal drugs when checked at the PDEA Laboratory in Manila.

Garcia is set to convene the Provincial Task Force Against Criminality which she heads.

To be invited during the meeting are the officials of the MCIA, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Immigration and the Philippine National Police.

Councilor Ronald Cuenco, chairman of the committee on health, said the City approved the renewal of 34 personnel for the continued operations of the city-owned hospital.

Of the 34, 14 are assigned at the pediatric ward - one training officer, one as chairman and 12 as consultants.

The City also approved the renewal of contract for the consultant at the organ imaging department, anesthesiologist, department of internal medicine, clinical pathology, research consultant, consultant of bacteriologist and infectious disease section.

With this, Mayor Michael Rama stressed that he will not close the hospital despite the call of Rep. Tomas Osmeña, who cited the incompetence and attitude problem of the personnel.

Rama insists that closing the hospital is not the solution.

“Ang damgo sa ubang local government unit nga makatag-iya og hospital unya kita diri sa Cebu City gusto natong pasirad-an,” Rama said. (Other LGUs even dream of owning their own hospital.)

Also in yesterday’s council session, Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, delivered a privileged speech assuring the executive department’s Investigation team that the council will share any needed information.

Margot explained that the investigation conducted by the City Council was primarily to check on the situation of the three babies and see to it that they have the best possible care.

The Council’s action, she explained, was in response to text messages she received last February 24 saying that the accident happened February 20.

Of the three babies, only Baby Kean Villarico suffered from third-degree burns when the goose neck lamp exploded after the tube of the nasal cannula caught fire.

There is now a recommendation to replace gooseneck lamps with halogen lamps or infrared to avoid accidents. The Council also recommends the purchase of radiant heat pads instead of radiant warmer beds.

The Council, however, did not recommend legal and punitive actions against CCMC personnel, saying that this must be “left to the discretion of the executive department’s investigation team” headed by City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete.

Councilor Edgardo Labella, chairman of the committee on laws, said people must be held accountable or liable and answer for the incident.