Bohol, 5th in drug-affected provinces why no barangay official on PDEA narco list?

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) had ranked Bohol 5th among 81 drug-affected provinces in the country, but many Facebook users are raising hell over a report of the agency that no barangay chairperson in the province is included in its "verified" narco list.

A total of 1,092 out of the 1,109 barangays in Bohol are drug-affected – with only 17 declared drug-free by the PDEA, but the public commented that this could not be possible without the knowledge, perhaps actual collusion, of barangay officials.

PDEA said Bohol, with 98.47 percent drug affectation, is number 5 among drug-affected provinces in the country, but ranked number 1 in Central Visayas; Negros Oriental, with 88.15 percent, at 8th, but No. 2 in the region, Cebu province (83.3 percent) is at 14th, but No. 3 in the region, and Siquijor (79.85 percent) is at 66th, but 4th in the region.

Among regions, Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) tops the list of barangays affected by drugs or 96.17 percent; second is the National Capital Region (95.37 percent), and 3rd is Central Visayas (87.44 percent).

PDEA-Bohol Director Nicolas Gomez bared this during the recent meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC), and the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC), presided over by acting Governor Benjie Arcamo at the People's Mansion in Tagbilaran City.

Gomez said 565 barangays in Bohol were not yet declared as drug-cleared as they're still undergoing process of validation by the Regional Oversight Committee.

Of the total 1,109 barangays in Bohol, 345 are considered "slightly affected;" 747 are "moderately affected;" and zero "seriously affected." He said that 520 barangays here have yet to submit for validation; with only 24 subject for endorsement to the committee.

However, the PDEA did not give any answer to the question of the public on why there was no barangay official in Bohol included in its released narco list.