PRO-6 slams brgy execs unsupportive of drug war

CEBU, Philippines — The Police Regional Office-6 on Wednesday called on the public not to vote for reelection barangay officials who are not supporting or uncooperative in the government's anti-illegal drugs campaign.

The Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections are scheduled on May 14, with the election period starting from April 14 to May 21.

Superintendent Gilbert Gorero, PRO-6 spokesman, said in a statement that the police command in Western Visayas is “strongly supporting the awareness drive to reject reelectionist barangay officials who are uncooperative to the National Campaign on Illegal Drugs through Project Double Barrel Reloaded.

Gorero said PRO-6 supports PNP Chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa’s earlier declaration assailing barangays officials who continue to defy the law mandating the formation of their respective Anti-drug Dtug Abuse Councils (BADACs).

On Monday, dela Rosa said he wanted cases filed against barangay officials who are not activating their BADACs in support of the anti-drug campaign. "In our level, we can't see ourselves going around and campaign for village officials whom we deemed are not doing their job well," Gorero said.

Instead, Gorero claimed PRO-6 could release reports of barangays who have been cooperative in the anti-illegal drugs campaign. There are 4,051 villages all over Western Visayas, he said, and almost all have created their respective BADAC.

Gorero said every BADAC plays an important role in addressing the drug problem in the community because of their influence to the residents. Barangays are mandated to allocate in its annual budget for the BADAC, otherwise it would be a ground for an administrative case of dereliction of duty, under Section 60 of Local Government Code and the Department of Interior and Local Government memorandum circular, he said.

The DILG had deputized every BADAC to plan and implement strategic policies and evaluate programs and projects on drug prevention and control. Records of the DILG however showed that 12,000 of the 42,000 barangays nationwide have no functioning BADAC despite its circular on the mandatory creation of the body in every barangay..

While BADAC formation is not an issue in Western Visayas, Gorero said PRO-6 is still monitoring its functionality and regularity in submission of reports, particularly on the list of suspected drug personalities. — Jennifer P. Rendon