ILOILO City – In Western Visayas, 87.94 percent of the barangays have so far been cleared of illegal drugs, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 6 (PDEA-6).
The region has 4,051 barangays. The 87.94 percent is equivalent to 3,550 barangays.
“Continuous pa rin ang ating validation. Baka may mga bagong drug personalities. Depende sa mga barangay officials how they maintain their area drug-free,” said Alex Tablate, PDEA-6 director.
Aklan is the only province in the region deemed “100 percent” drug-cleared, according to PDEA.
Here’s the “cleared” status of the other areas in the region:
* Antique – 99.32 percent
* Iloilo province – 97.50 percent
* Guimaras – 95.91 percent
* Capiz – 89.21 percent
* Negros Occidental – 53.41 percent
* Iloilo City – 48.88 percent
* Bacolod City – 21.31 percent
An area may be declared as drug cleared if it meets the guidelines set by the Dangerous Drugs Board. These are:
* non-availability of illegal drugs
* absence of drug dens, pushers and users, protectors or financiers
* absence of clandestine drug laboratories, warehouses, marijuana cultivation sites
* no drug transit or transshipment activity
* active involvement of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials in anti-drug activities
* conduct of drug awareness, preventive education and information campaign
* operation of voluntary and compulsory drug treatment and rehabilitation processing desk/PN
