Sinas wants to revisit drug-cleared status of over 100 barangays

CEBU, Philippines — Police Regional Office-7 is pushing for the reassessment of the drug-cleared declaration of the more than 100 barangays in Central Visayas to ensure that the police are not complacent in their job.  

PRO-7 director Chief Supt. Debold Sinas said he wants to start the reassessment with the 29 barangays in Bogo City that were previously given a certificate as drug-cleared.

“Dili basta basta na, I am just targeting Bogo because it is a city and sentro, it is a transshipment, since buses and other mode of transportations pass through may night life sila, mayroon pang jail kaya I’m doubtful how it can be drug-cleared that not even one Siquijor is considered one,” Sinas said.

Superintendent Jeffrey Caballes, Bogo City police chief, said he only inherited the drug-cleared status from his predecessor.

“Di man ako ang nag- drug-free,” he said. He refused to give further comment and opted to keep silent on the issue.

Sinas said he will not relieve Caballes but will continue to remind him on the appropriate guidelines for the declaration of a drug-cleared barangay.

Sinas said that he will submit a proposal to start the re-evaluation of all drug-cleared barangays.

“We will submit proposal to re-evaluate all the 100 plus barangays declared as drug-free, this is to make sure nga dili complacent ang pulis, if tinuod nga wala, atoa man sultian we will affirm it, ang tan-awon nato is ang facilities. How efficient is the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC)?” Sinas said.

The BADAC serves as the bridge between the police and the people in the community to determine who are to be included in the drugs watch list and what interventions are needed.

The re-evaluation of drug-cleared barangays was discussed yesterday in one of the lectures in the ongoing training on crime investigation participated by at least 200 policemen, including police chiefs.

Sinas said that the purpose of the lecture was to educate the participants on the guidelines of declaring and recommending any barangay as drug-cleared. — FPL (FREEMAN)