LINGAYEN, Pangasinan -- The police in Pangasinan are now focusing their time, energy as well as resources on only 93 barangays all over Pangasinan that had remained uncleared of illegal drugs as of August 15 this year.
Chief Inspector Norman Florentino, chief of the Police Community Relations branch of the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPPO), revealed that clearing operations are now going in earnest in these 93 villages that could assure the attainment of drug-free Pangasinan by December this year.
So far, the town of Dasol became only the fourth town in Pangasinan declared by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) as cleared of illegal drugs. The three others are Laoac, Agno and Alaminos City.
There are 17 others towns across Pangasinan recommended by the Pangasinan Police to the PDEA to be also declared drug-free which is expected to come in just a few days.
Florentino said there were 1,178 barangays that were already cleared all over Pangasinan from a total of 1,271 drug-affected barangays.
There is a total of 1,364 barangays all over the province and 83 of these were considered not affected by illegal drugs.
A consolidated report on Project Double Barrel in Pangasinan from July 1, 2016 to August 15, 2017 showed there were 1,607 persons who were arrested by the police in connection with illegal drugs. Of the number, 1,453 were pushers and 264 were users.
Seized from the suspects were 702.662 grams of shabu and 653.88 grams of marijuana.
The suspects were arrested in 1,607 operations conducted by the police, at least 444 by means of search warrants, 479, through buy-bust operations, 49 through warrants of arrest, 43 through Operation Sita, 83 through police response and 11 through checkpoint operations.
All the suspects have been charged for violations of Republic Act 9165 as amended as well as the graver crime of selling as well as possession of illegal drugs which is not bailable.
In these 1453 operations, there were 42 persons who died during police operations.
Florentino is confident that with only 93 barangays yet to be cleared, the Pangasinan police will be able to meet its target of seeing a drug-free Pangasinan by December this year.
In Dagupan City, there were 29 of the 31 barangays that were already cleared of illegal drugs as of August 14 this year.
The 29th village cleared last Tuesday was Barangay Pantal. Yet to be cleared are Barangay 2&3 and Pugaro. (PNA)
