LAOAG CITY – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Friday has declared 347 villages in Ilocos Norte as cleared from illegal drugs.
Agent Lorie Agunat, barangay clearing officer of PDEA, in a radio interview, said there are only 173 barangays that either lack documentary requirements or have yet to undergo Community-Based Rehabilitation Program (CBRP).
Most of these are located here and in Batac City and the town of Badoc.
As the lead agency in the drug clearing operation, Agunat said the provincial oversight committee composed of PDEA, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police, Department of Health, and the local government unit concerned continue to conduct a thorough evaluation on the drug-affected barangays and must comply with all the set requirements before they can be declared as “cleared”.
Once declared as drug cleared, the names of persons in the list of drug surrenderers will be automatically scrapped.
But before that, each drug surrenderer has to undergo a series of medical tests, including physical and moral recovery enhancement, spiritual health education, psycho-social counseling, and drug education.
Through the establishment of a reformation center for former drug offenders, local government units here continue to provide skills training to them in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to empower them as good and law-abiding citizens.
In support of the Duterte administration's anti-illegal drug campaign, the provincial oversight committee on drug clearing operation vowed to continue its fight against illegal drugs amid a pandemic. (PNA)
