Basketball game between Talisay cops and drug surrenderers: More than just a friendly game

A friendly basketball game between drug surrenderers and the policemen of Talisay City Police Station on Sunday morning, Nov. 13, 2022, is a way to help drug surrenderers see that going into sports is better than getting back into illegal drugs. | Randy Caballes FB page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — This is not just a friendly basketball game between Talisay City policemen and 25 drug surrenderers in Barangay Lawaan 3, Talisay City, but this is much more than that because this game is among the ways for policemen to help drug surrenderers from going back to illegal drugs.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy Caballes, Talisay City Police Station chief, said it did not matter who won the game but what mattered was that we were helping them [drug surrenderers] see that going into sports was better than going back to illegal drugs.

Aside from that, Caballes said that this was also a way to expose the drug surrenderers to policemen and create a rapport with them.

“Kini siya nga activity makaencourage sa drug surrenderers nga naa ra ang kapulisan, nga instead of doing drugs, ato sila giencourage magsports na lang sila. Isa sad ni nga programa para mawelcome sila sa community,” Caballes said.

(This activity will help encourage (and assure) the drug surrenders that the police are always there for them, that instead of doing drugs, we are encouraging them to go into sports instead. This is also one of the programs for them [drug surrenderers] to be welcomed in the community.)

He said that the activity — the friendly game of basketball between policemen and the drug surrenderers — was part of the Barangay Community Based Rehabilitation Program.

Caballes said that, so far, the majority of barangay captains in 22 villages in the city were supportive of their programs against illegal drug activities in their areas.

However, he further encourages other village captains to also have similar activities to help their drug surrenderers change and to open opportunities for them.

Talisay City already has hundreds of drug surrenderers who completed their drug-rehabilitation program. Some landed jobs in their respective barangays or at the Talisay City Hall, which is proof that change is possible with those who have the eye and heart for it.

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