14 Iloilo City barangays gain drug-cleared status

ILOILO CITY — Fourteen barangays in Iloilo City have been added to the list of drug-cleared areas in Western Visayas.

The declaration was made during the final deliberation of the Regional Oversight Committee on the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (ROC-BDCP) on Sept. 23 at the Nutrition Center on General Luna Street, Iloilo City.

Declared drug-cleared were barangays General Hughes and Tanza Baybay in City Proper; Lopez Jaena Norte in La Paz; Balantang, Calubihan, Dungon B, Fajardo, San Vicente, Ungka and Tagbac in Jaro; East Timawa and Kasing-Kasing in Molo; and Navais and Tabucan in Mandurriao.

With the addition of the 14 barangays, 134 of Iloilo City’s 180 barangays, or about 74%, have now been declared drug-cleared.

Representatives from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region 6, Iloilo City government, Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), Department of the Interior and Local Government Region 6, Regional Community Affairs and Development Division of Police Regional Office 6, and Department of Health Region 6 attended the deliberation.

Meanwhile, nine Iloilo City barangays successfully retained their drug-free status.

These were barangays Ed Ganzon, Kauswagan, Osmeña, Roxas Village, Sampaguita and San Jose in City Proper; and Libertad Santa Isabel, Luna and San Jose in Jaro.

Col. Wilbert Parilla, Iloilo City police chief, credited partner agencies, particularly the barangays, for their dedication and commitment to the program.

“We thank our partner agencies, especially our barangays, for their dedication and commitment to this success,” he said.

But Parilla stressed that being declared drug-cleared should not lead agencies and local officials to become complacent.

Instead, he said they should continue monitoring their communities, remain vigilant and stay steadfast in the campaign against illegal drugs.