134 of 180 Iloilo City barangays now drug-cleared

ILOILO CITY — Iloilo City has classified nearly three-fourths of its 180 barangays as drug-cleared, while nine others have been verified as drug-free, as the city government continues to strengthen its anti-illegal drug campaign.

Data from the Iloilo City Anti-Illegal Drug Abuse Council showed that 134 of the city’s 180 barangays have been declared drug-cleared since 2017, accounting for 74.4% of all barangays.

Of these, 17 barangays secured the status in 2025 and another 22 in 2026 under the administration of Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu.

In January, Treñas-Chu set a target of having all 180 barangays drug-cleared within 2026. Police data at the time showed 113 drug-cleared barangays and 67 still affected by illegal drugs.

In October 2025, Department of the Interior and Local Government-6 Director Juan Jovian Ingeniero said the city lagged behind at 53.89% in drug-cleared barangays. He attributed this partly to its status as a highly urbanized city.

Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) chief Police Col. Wilbert Parilla clarified, however, that drug-cleared status does not mean illegal drug activities have been completely eliminated from a barangay.

“Drug-cleared does not mean there is no longer drug activity in a barangay. The purpose of drug clearing is to identify and account for all personalities involved in illegal drugs, whether they are users, pushers, or have other involvement in the drug trade,” he said Monday.

He explained that barangays undergo annual retention and revalidation to determine whether they continue to meet the requirements for the classification.

Communities that fail to account for drug personalities or satisfy the requirements may lose their drug-cleared status and be returned to the list of uncleared barangays, he added.

Parilla said authorities also strictly evaluate barangays before granting them the designation, including whether all identified drug personalities have been accounted for.

The presence of unaccounted drug personalities is among the grounds for withholding drug-cleared status, he added.

Under the Barangay Drug Clearing Program, previously drug-affected communities must undergo validation by the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing.

The program is governed by Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 4, Series of 2021, which replaced the 2017 guidelines.

The regulation defines a drug-cleared barangay as one previously drug-affected that went through the program and was declared cleared by the oversight committee. A drug-free barangay is an unaffected one that the committee has vetted and confirmed.

Among the requirements are interventions for identified drug personalities, the implementation of community-based rehabilitation and related programs, and an operational Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council.

Those who refuse to undergo community-based rehabilitation may instead be subjected to law enforcement action, Parilla said.

Meanwhile, nine barangays have been verified as drug-free, meaning they were never affected by illegal drug activities and have been validated by the regional oversight committee.

These are Edganzon, Kauswagan, Osmeña, Roxas Village, San Jose, and Sampaguita in City Proper, and Libertad Santa Isabel, Luna, and San Jose in Jaro.