PDEA tags over 83% of barangays in NegOr are drug affected

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

NEGROS ORIENTAL --The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) here has tagged that 83.30 percent of the barangays in Negros Oriental are drug affected making it the most drug-affected province in Central Visayas for the first quarter of 2021.

The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) here said that PDEA-NegOr Provincial Officer Intelligence Agent Elmer Ebona reported that of the 557 barangays in the province, only 51 barangays are drug-free or certified unaffected while 84 are drug-cleared and the rest are considered drug-affected.

Out of these barangays, 240 are classified as slightly affected, 171 barangays are moderately affected, nine of these seriously affected, and two remains to be unaffected, Ebona reported this during the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting on June 10.

A barangay is considered drug-affected when there is a reported presence in the area of drug users, pushers, marijuana cultivators or other drug personalities, drug dens, marijuana plantations, clandestine drug laboratories, and facilities related to the manufacture of illegal drugs.

Ebona said the drug-cleared barangays were issued certifications by the oversight committee on the barangay drug-clearing program led by PDEA.

“Being the most affected province in the region, there is a need to further strengthen the tie ups between the law enforcement units,” Ebona added.

PDEA also urged the local anti-drug abuse councils in each government unit to strictly implement the barangay drug-clearing program to address the drug affectation in their locality.

According to PIA-NegOr Provincial Manager Jennifer Tilos that in that PPOC meeting, the issue on how to address the moderately affected barangays was raised.  The council said there is a need for local government units to establish a drug rehabilitation center or Balay Silangan facility where interventions for drug offenders who want to be reformed or rehabilitated are instituted.

PDEA reports revealed that anti-illegal drug operations from January to May 2021 resulted in the arrest of 27 drug personalities and the seizure of about P7,767.068 million worth of illegal drugs and 29 cases in violation of RA-9165 and other related cases were filled in court, Tilos said. (Photos: PDEA files/Google Images)