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[av_heading heading=’‘WE NEED A NEW NARRATIVE’ Keep fighting illegal drugs in WV, says Binag’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”][/av_heading]
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ILOILO City – “We need to come up with a new narrative,” said Chief Superintendent Cesar Hawthorne Binag, director of the Police Regional Office 6.
Binag is referring to a “narrative” that will change the public perception of the illegal drug situation in Western Visayas, especially in Iloilo City, which has been marred with issues last year.
“That’s what we are pushing for,” stressed Binag.
He added that Western Visayas must not stick to “status quo” and thus move forward in its fight against prohibited drugs.
Currently, a total of 176 out of 4,051 barangays in the region were declared “drug-cleared.”
Data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) showed that 145 barangays in Bacolod City and some towns in Negros Occidental and Bingawan, Maasin and Alimodian towns in Iloilo province were first to be declared in the region as cleared from illegal drugs.
The earliest declarations happened in June last year, according to David Garcia, PDEA Region 6 information officer.
The latest declarations were in 31 villages located in Sibunag, Guimaras (13), Oton, Iloilo (nine), Mina, Iloilo (six), and Iloilo City (three).
PDEA regional director Wardley Garcia said they have been sending personnel to barangays to help village officials to record documents needed for the declaration.
PDEA is prioritizing drug “unaffected” and “slightly affected” villages in the region.
There are 1,857 slightly affected and 1,554 unaffected barangays in Western Visayas. (PNA/PN)
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