GENERAL SANTOS CITY - More than 4,000 residents of General Santos City gathered on Wednesday to express support for the government's crackdown on criminality and illegal drugs.

The townsfolk launched the "Purok Laban sa Krimen" campaign, a community-based project that aims to activate the barangay and city anti-illegal drug councils.

Superintendent Cedrick Train, director of the Soccsksargen police., said 25,000 drug suspects have surrendered to authorities so far, but there are still some 170,000 others who refuse to stop their illegal activities.

"We need the help of the grassroots. Sa purok mismo para mahanap talaga natin sila", Train said. [We will focus on the village level so that we can find them.]

"Hindi natin kaya kung tayo lang, kung ang mga pulis lang, kailangan natin ng tulong ng community," he added. [The police cannot do this alone, we need help from the community]

Residents who attended the campaign launch were from different sectors, but most were students who said they wanted to purge their city of narcotics.

"Kasi naririnig namin parati sa balita na andaming nahuhuli sa droga, ayaw namin non' masisira lang kami niyan," said Grade 9 pupil Newton Valderosa, Jr. of General Santos City National High School.

PNP Chief Police Director General Ronald Bato dela Rosa led the campaign's launch.

Dela Rosa was also set to meet with city and barangay officials to discuss the Regional Tokhang Week, which was launched in Socsksargen last Monday.