TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Bohol Provincial Board Member Dionisio Balite, in a privilege speech at the regular session yesterday, raised questions on the presence of “shabu” in the ante-room of the PB’s session hall.
Balite said Vice Governor Concepcion Lim “informed the body about three sachets believed to contain shabu found just under a sala set in the ante-room,” but he questioned why only now this matter was exposed when the discovery happened last July 16.
He asked: “Were the sachets handed over to proper authorities and subjected to laboratory examination? What were the results, or if these were not submitted for lab tests, why?”
If the tests proved positive of shabu, then the illegal drug menace is now widespread that even the Capitol, the seat of the provincial government, is no longer spared, said Balite.
Balite then called on the provincial government, under Governor Edgar Chatto, to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, and address the extent of the spread of illegal drugs in the province.
It can be recalled that a Bohol Poll reported the proliferation of illegal drugs in Bohol is now 29 percent “very serious,” a steep rise from the 15 percent number posted last year.
The Provincial Peace and Order Council, chaired by Chatto, said 528 out of 1,109 barangays in Bohol are “slightly affected” by illegal drugs, 311 are “moderately affected,” and 11 “seriously affected.” A total of 232 barangays are still “unaffected,” PPOC added. — Photo by Ric V. Obedencio (FREEMAN)