783 Cebu villages still drug-affected

CEBU, Philippines — The new numbers of drug-cleared barangays have depleted over the years, according to a report by the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Yesterday, the Cebu Provincial Anti-drug Abuse Council (CPADAC) convened at the Capitol Social Hall.

During the council, Milva Mojado, Cebu provincial officer of PDEA, reported that over the years the province has experienced a decline in the new numbers of drug-cleared barangays.

In 2017, 160 barangays all over the province were declared drug-free. This was followed by a tally of 85 new drug-free barangays in 2018 and only 38 barangays declared drug-free for 2019.

Adding this up, over a total of 283 barangays have been deemed drug-cleared over the past three years. This takes up 27 percent of the total 1,066 barangays in the province.

According to Mojado, PDEA coordinates with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Barangay officials in monitoring possible resurgence of drugs in cleared barangays.

“We had conducted a revalidation of those drug-cleared barangays back in 2017 and 2018. As the result of this revalidation, there are no illegal drugs that are happening in those barangays that has been declared as drug-free,” she said.

This still leaves 73 percent of the barangays under the classification “drug affected.”

Under this, the barangays might be categorized slightly affected or with drug users, moderately affected or hosting pushers, runners and peddlers and seriously affected or hosting drug dens, clandestine laboratories, clandestine warehouses or marijuana plantation sites.

Of the 73 percent, 391 are slightly affected, 363 are moderately affected and 17 are seriously affected.

Among the identified problems faced by PDEA, according to the report are the outdated Barangay Anti-drug Abuse Council watchlist and the unavailability of records with the transitions of new barangay officials from the recent election periods.

However, Mojado assured that the relatively low percentage of drug-cleared barangays is an indication that in order to attain this status, barangays are being carefully scrutinized and monitored.

“Figuratively, ubos gyud siya nga figures but that is an indicator that the PDEA and other government agencies is doing piously the conduct of barangay drug-clearing operations. Dili nato siya dali-dalion para lang sa atong figures,” Mojado said.

CPADAC reorganization

Meanwhile, back in December of 2019, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia signed Executive Order No. 25 reorganizing the CPADAC.

In the new organization, the council is chores by the governor and vice chaired by PNP Provincial Director Roderick Mariano.

As for the council’s membership, it is composed of the Department of Interior and Local Government provincial director, Department of Education Cebu schools division superintendent, Cebu provincial prosecutor, the executive judge of the Regional Trial Court, the provincial health officer, the Provincial Social Welfare and Development officer and the officer-in-charge of the Provincial Public Information Office along with mayors of the 44 municipalities and six component cities of the province.  KQD (FREEMAN)