TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-8 yesterday declared 26, out of 138 barangays, in Tacloban City as free from illegal drugs proliferation.
This was based on the results of the recent conduct of validation by the Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation 3, Series of 2017, and certified by the oversight committee—headed by PDEA-8 Acting Regional Director Edgar Jubay—and attested to by the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC), chaired by Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez with the initial assessment of the Tacloban City Police Office (TCPO) and other government agencies.
Romualdez identified the drug-cleared areas in the city: Barangays 1 and 4 (Libertad); 6-A (Sto. Niño Extension); 7 (Del Pilar/Gomez Street); 8 (T. Claudio); 12 (GE Palanog); 17 (Gomez/Salazar St); 18 (Gomez St); 19 (Burgos/Real); 21-A (Burgos/Sto. Niño); 22 (Rizal Avenue); 23 (A Imelda/Del Pilar); 24 (Sto. Niño/Imelda); 26 (Gomez/Paterno St.);
Barangays 34 (Imelda/Real St.); 37-A (Palanog Resettlement); 38 (Veteranos/Torres and Burgos St.); 44-A (Quarry-EVSU); 50 (Independencia/Real/Arellano); 57 (White Lane Sampaguita); 66-A (Anibong); 73 (PHHC Mountainside); 78 (Marasbaras); 81 (Marasbaras); 91 (Abucay); and 110 (Utap).
Two months ago, PDEA-8 had also declared Barangays 44 and 77 in Tacloban as drug-free.
Romualdez lauded the drug-cleared barangays, saying that the continuing success of the city’s anti-drug campaign is dependent on the coordination and cooperation of the different stakeholders.
The mayor also said the anti-drug campaign is focused not only on the eradication of the drug menace but also on the improvement of morals and lives of her constituents, with the holistic approach in drug rehabilitation.
Jubay said the resolution and certification declaring the barangays as drug-cleared were signed also by lawyer Kaye Barreda who represented the mayor, DILG City Local Government Operations Office Director Darwin Bibar, TCPO Director Senior Superintendent Rolando Bade and the Department of Health-8.
Bade, for his part, said the next step for these cleared barangays is to maintain their “cleared” status and share its best practices with other barangays. If there is a resumption of drug operations in these barangays, their officials are duty-bound to alert the TCPO within 30 days, he said.
The DDB guidelines stated that negligent village officials who fail to report any drug-related incident in their barangay within the specified period may be charged for dereliction of duty.
Bibar said Tacloban City is the first local government unit in Eastern Visayas to implement a drug rehabilitation program, in close coordination with the MASA MASID (Mamamayang Ayaw Sa Anomalya, Mamamayang Ayaw sa Droga), and the Double Barrel Reloaded of the DILG and the Philippine National Police.
He added that PDEA-8 is now validating 21 more barangays in the city, which are expected to be cleared of drugs also before the scheduled Change Summit in Tacloban on September 21. (FREEMAN)