Barangays vow to help vs drugs

CEBU, Philippines - The Liga ng mga Barangay, also known as the Association of Barangay Councils, has vowed to support the campaign against illegal drugs in the Province of Cebu.

LnB-Cebu chapter led by its president, Provincial Board Member Celestino “Tining” Martinez III, has signed the memorandum of agreement entered into with Governor Hilario Davide III during the recently concluded Liga General Assembly.

Other signatories were representatives of the Cebu Police Provincial Office, Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Commission, and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.

Along with the signing of the MOA was the signing of the program dubbed as Just Say No.

The program aims to bring together local government officials, law enforcement agencies, parents, schools, youth, business, civic groups, local media, and health professionals to reduce drug abuse in a comprehensive approach.

RAFI will be assisting Capitol in this program.

“It is a movement of combined efforts of different offices to spearhead and to really enforce campaign against illegal drugs,” Martinez said.

Martinez emphasized the big role of barangay captains since intelligence network and information would come from their level.

“Most of the barangays know more kinsa gyud ang naggamit ug nag-distribute sa illegal drugs kay naa man sa barangay level,” he said.

Martinez said there are concerns raised by his colleagues, though, such as the fear in reporting drug personalities in the barangays.

He, nevertheless, said they can work out on something that intelligence monitoring will be really tight to help the enforcement and to secure the barangay officials.

“Apil man gyud na sa trabaho nato gud, if hadlok ka, you should not be a barangay captain kung mahadlok ka,” Martinez said.

Of the 1,093 barangay captains in Cebu province, excluding the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu, 754 attended the LnB General Assembly.

CPADAC earlier reported that 97 percent of the local government units were concerned on illegal drugs in their locality.

With the growing concern against illegal drugs, CPADAC is also struggling with low conviction rate in drug cases.

CPADAC Executive Director Joey Herrera said they are now trying to address the problem.

He said section 21 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Acts of 2002 is the most abused requisites of the law that led to the dismissal of an estimated 90 percent of drug cases.

The provision requires the signature of barangay officials and the media as witnesses in the inventory of drugs seized during operations.

However, they are reportedly afraid to affix their signatures due to the belief that they are made witnesses to the raid. (FREEMAN)