83.75% barangays in WV cleared of illegal drugs

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-6 reported that 83.75 percent of barangays in Western Visayas are drug-cleared.

This, after the Regional Oversight Committee on the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (ROC-BDC) chaired by PDEA-6 acting regional director Alex Tablate, cleared 10 more villages of illegal drugs during its 29th ROC deliberation held in Iloilo City on July 29, 2021.

The latest “drug-cleared” villages were Mianay in Ivisan, Cogon in Panay, and Calaan in Panitan, all in Capiz province; Bagacay, Barroc, Binaliuan Menor, Buyu-an, Dorong-an, Poblacion 3 and Poblacion 7 in Tigbauan, Iloilo.

According to PDEA, 73 villages from the municipalities of Lezo, Aklan; Bugasong, Antique; Concepcion, Lemery and Mina in Iloilo were also able to retain their status as drug-cleared barangays after a thorough assessment of the ROC.

Representatives from the different barangays assisted by their local government units (LGUs) presented and defended their applications and folders in compliance with the parameters set by the Barangay Drug Clearing Program as mandated by Dangerous Drug Board (DDB) Reg. 3 series of 2017.

The ROC members conducted actual evaluation of each participant barangay applicants.

Joining Tablate as members of the oversight committee were Police Lieutenant Colonel Victorino Romanillos Jr., Chief RCADD, Police Regional Community Affairs and Development Division (RCADD) of Police Regional Office (PRO)-6, Mr. John Richard Lapascua, Senior Health Program Officer of the Department of Health (DOH)-6, and Ms. Maricel Bechayda, division chief of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-6.

PDEA 6 said that it will continue to closely collaborate with the concerned counterparts to increase the number of barangays to be cleared through proper implementation of DDB Regulation Number 3, Series of 2017 and the Omnibus Procedures in Declaring a Drug Affected Barangay as Drug-Cleared.