ILOILO City – Out of 42 barangays seeking to be officially declared free from illegal drugs, only 29 got the nod of the regional oversight committee.
Ma. Graziella Tanaleon, spokesperson of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 6 (PDEA-6), said the newly-declared drug-free barangays met the parameters set by the Dangerous Drugs Board during the 24th Regional Oversight Committee deliberation held in Iloilo’s Leganes town.
Tanaleon noted that the passers were only 69.04 percent of the total applicants. Attributed reasons included drug users who failed to undergo rehabilitation; presence of new drug personalities and listed drug pushers; and surrenderers who were not enrolled in Balay Silangan center.
“Madamo nag-surface nga drug personalities because of the pandemic so they failed to clear their place,” Tanaleon said.
The barangays which were officially cleared of drugs came from the provinces of Aklan (5), Capiz (4), Guimaras (6), Iloilo (2), and Negros Occidental (11).
Of the 4,051 barangays in Western Visayas, 3,282 are now drug-cleared.
Meanwhile, Tanaleon said remaining barangays Mali-ao and Balabag in Pavia, Iloilo have finally been cleared; however the town has yet to be declared as drug-free.
Drug operatives were still conducting a reassessment on the previously declared drug-free barangays.
“Ma-consider naton nga cleared na ang Pavia, but indi kita makahatag certification nga cleared because we are conducting re-visitation or reassessment sa mga barangays nga nauna gin declare to know if they sustain the parameters kay pwede naton ma revoke ang certification if they failed to sustain. If all barangays sustain the parameters, that’s the time that we have to declare cleared,” Tanaleon explained./PN
