ILOILO CITY -- The municipality of Lambunao in Iloilo province is preparing the documents of its 73 barangays to be submitted to the Regional Oversight Committee in June for them to gain a drug-cleared status.
Ramon E. Sucayan, head of the Municipal Local Government Operations Office, said the barangays are expected to submit their documents to the Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Council (MADAC), particularly to the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the local police office, in relation to their application for drug-cleared status before end of April.
Sucayan said he is hopeful that the villages would get the status, citing that their respective Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (BADACs) are active.
BADACs are expected to extend assistance to law enforcement agencies in the eradication and drug-clearing operations in their area of jurisdiction as provided for in Resolution No. 3, series of 2017 of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) regarding the barangay drug-clearing program.
The Lambunao MADAC recently gathered representatives of the town’s 73 BADACs for a two-day orientation on strengthening their councils and advocacy on anti-illegal drugs, criminality and corruption.
Meanwhile, the DDB, in the same resolution, identified the parameters for drug-affected barangays to be declared drug-cleared -- the non-availability of drug supply; absence of drug transshipment activity, clandestine drug laboratory, clandestine drug warehouse, clandestine chemical warehouse, marijuana cultivation site, drug den, dive or resort, drug pusher, protector/coddler, financier; active involvement of barangay officials and the Sangguniang Kabataan in anti-drug activities; existence of drug awareness and preventive education campaign and related activities; and the existence of voluntary and compulsory drug treatment and rehabilitation processing desk.
Data from the Lambunao municipal information office, gathered by the local police, showed the town has 108 drug surrenderers from 20 barangays that were visited under “Oplan Tokhang”.
The local police has been intensifying its anti-drug operations in the remaining 50 barangays, said municipal information officer, Gina Aris. (PNA)
