Drug clearing operations slowed down amid Covid-19 pandemic

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Just like other sectors of society, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Region 6 (PDEA-6) has also given in to the new normal.

PDEA-6 regional director Alex Tablate said the war on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was the main reason why Western Visayas’ drug-clearing initiatives slowed down.

But as PDEA-6 was forced to adjust to the new normal, Tablate pointed out that they did not waver in their fight against illegal drugs.

“PDEA operatives never stopped on their mandate, but momentarily slowed down to ensure the safety of our operatives and personnel operating all over Western Visayas,” he said.

While the implementation of quarantine measures was loosened and businesses gradually restart in the region, PDEA-6 operatives are increasing their activities against illegal drugs.

Western Visayas is now approaching almost 80% of the drug-cleared barangays target before the end of 2020.

A total of 19 Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP)-Regional Oversight Committee deliberations were already conducted.

He said the deliberation is the product of numerous and rigid on-site and intelligence validations in the different provinces for the past two and a half years.

To date, Tablate said 3,098 of the 4,051 barangays, or 76.47 percent, have already been cleared by the BDCP-ROC in Region 6.

During the 18th BDCP-ROC deliberation on Dec. 17, 2019, PDEA-6 reported that 3,018 barangays (74.5 percent) in Western Visayas have been declared drug cleared.

In anticipation of the new normal, the Barangay Drug Clearing Officers in different provinces have set the mode to increase efforts to further decrease drug affectation in the region.

The BDCP teams have also discussed plans in the conduct of BDCP onsite validations and deliberations amidst different restrictions and rules of the different provinces in Western Visayas.

“Drug-clearing efforts in the barangays in Western Visayas never wavered in keeping their drug-cleared status and those which are yet to be declared has already given their intent for application for drug-clearing,” Tablate said.

PDEA-6 reported that ten Balay Silangan Facilities in the Region are now catering to our reformists, ready to begin their journey towards genuine recovery.

Local government units have to build their own Balay Silangan, a facility under the national drug reformation program which offers temporary refuge to reform drug offenders into self-sufficient and law-abiding members of society.

The groundwork for Balay Silangan is stipulated under the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Regulation Number 2, Series of 2018.