PDEA: Drug-cleared Negros Occidental villages now 408

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — A total of 408 barangays in Negros Occidental are now drug-cleared, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

PDEA provincial chief Jeanette Reyes said drug-cleared barangays increased from 65 percent during the first quarter to 67.5 percent in the second quarter of the year.

Reyes said the San Carlos City government plans to acquire drug-sniffing dogs to assist PDEA and Philippine Coast Guard personnel in preventing the entry of illegal drugs from neighboring islands.

Authorities said San Carlos is the gateway of illegal drugs entering Cebu and Mindanao.

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson urged barangay leaders to make an effort to clear their villages of illegal drugs.