EDITORIAL - Are we winning the battle against drugs?

Another barangay captain in Cebu has been arrested in the government’s heightened campaign against the illegal drug trade. Tupas, Ronda, barangay captain Eugene Miñoza yielded suspected shabu worth almost half a million pesos and a gun during a raid by authorities on Wednesday.

Before his arrest, Miñoza was placed under surveillance by the police for two months. Aside from allegedly being involved in illegal drugs, he has been accused of being behind the illegal gambling operations in some barangays of the town.

Miñoza, who tested positive for illegal drugs during a drug test following his arrest, was the latest barangay official in the province arrested for drugs. In the past months, several barangay councilmen were also apprehended for the same offense.

Because of the involvement of some barangay officials in illegal drugs, President Rodrigo Duterte is firm in his move seeking the postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections supposedly scheduled for this October.

While there is a huge chance the coming polls will be postponed, it remains to be seen whether the president’s idea of personally appointing barangay officials will work in the crusade against the illegal drug trade.

The best way to rid the barangays of illegal drugs is for authorities to religiously go after those involved. Policemen and other concerned agencies should spare no one in their campaign if we want to win the battle.

It’s really unfortunate that many of those involved in drugs manage to freely operate their trade under the blessings of some policemen and government officials. This has been a serious problem that the authorities have long been dealing with.

Illegal drugs will continue to penetrate every corner of the barangay unless, of course, there is an honest-to-goodness approach in the campaign. While we hail the recent success of the authorities, the battle against the menace is still far from being won.