C. Valley drug war deadline set

BAYOMBONG, Philippines – Police chiefs in the Cagayan Valley region have been ordered to make all villages in their jurisdiction drug-free in three months.

Cagayan Valley police director Chief Superintendent Eliseo Rasco said the region’s police chiefs have until the second week of April to stop the illegal drug trade in their areas of responsibility.

Rasco said he would visit all police headquarters in the region to personally issue the order. 

As of Dec. 31, reports said 488 of 1,547 drug-affected barangays in the region have been cleared of drugs.

Cagayan Valley has 2,311 barangays located in the provinces of Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino.

Rasco said the police need the support of the government and the community for the anti-drug campaign to succeed.