ILOILO CITY, March 12 -- The local government here does not consider the drug situation alarming amid the confiscation of a huge volume of illegal drugs by authorities during sting operations.

"What is important is that our police officers are alert and operations continue. We will continue to support our police," Mayor Jerry Trenas said in a follow-up interview on Tuesday.

He said the situation can only be alarming once there are big-time peddlers arrested in operations.

The mayor is mulling acquiring a dog to be trained in drug-sniffing for deployment in ports.

Trenas, meanwhile, said he has ordered city lawyers to study and determine additional penalties for a barangay kagawad (councilor) who was caught in a drug-bust operation in...