ILOILO City – All 51 barangays in Alimodian, Iloilo have been cleared of prohibited drugs.
Mayor Geefree Alonsabe was grateful for the feat while also acknowledging that maintaining the status is a challenge to village officials.
“All stakeholders worked hard for this,” Alonsabe said, adding that this proves the local government’s campaign against illegal drugs was bearing fruit.
A regional oversight committee declared 42 Alimodian barangays drug-cleared on June 18.
Almost a month later, on July 12, nine more villages were cleared, too: Poblacion, Sinamay, Cuyad, Quinaspan, Pajo, Cabacanan Proper, Tabug, Bagumbayan-Ilajas, and Taban-Manguining.
The regional oversight committee comprised the following:
* Regional Director Anthony Nuyda of the Department of the Interior and Local Government
* Regional Director Marlyn Convocar of the Department of Health
* Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, director of the Police Regional Office 6
* Regional Director Wardley Getalla of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
According to the committee, barangays declared drug-cleared have passed the following parameters set under Section 6 of the Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 3, series of 2017:
* no available illegal drugs
* no drug transit / transshipment activity
* no clandestine drug laboratory, drug warehouse, clandestine chemical warehouse or marijuana cultivation site
* no drug den
* no drug pusher, drug user/dependent, protector/coddler or financier
* active involvement of barangay officials in anti-drug activities
* existence of drug awareness, preventive education and information and programs
* existence of voluntary and compulsory drug treatment and rehabilitation processing desk
Alimodian was the second town – next to Mina – to have all its barangays declared drug-cleared.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. and Department of the Interior and Local Government – Iloilo director Teodora Sumagaysay witnessed the awarding of certificates to the nine newly drug-cleared Alimodian barangays./PN
