By Mark L. Garcia
Bacolod City – A more dedicated, stringent anti – illegal drugs campaign by local govwrnment officials is being pushed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Leocadio Trovela, Director of the National Barangay Operations Office under the DILG yesterday said that more dedication is needed in implementing anti-illegal drugs activities since none of the city’s 61 barangays have been declared drug-free.
Trovela, during a press conference Saturday afternoon, bared that none of the city’s barangays is drug-free as of February, amid earlier reports that 3 barangays have already been cleared of the menace.
Of the 61 barangays, 36 are moderately affected while the 25 others have a less severe illegal drugs problem.
"If there are reported cases of illegal drug use and trade in a barangay that is drug cleared, they will have a 30- day moratorium to solve the problem. After the moratorium, if it's still not solved, the barangay will be declared affected," he said.
‘Rehabinasyon’
Trovela, together with Presidential Communications Operations Office Assistant Secretary Ramon Cualoping III, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director Elyvenson Plaza and Assistant Secretary to the President Aurora Ignacio launched the 'Rehabinasyon' in Bacolod City yesterday.
Rehabinasyon is an inter-agency program for rehabilitating the nation against illegal drugs where local government units are assisted in enforcing local anti-drugs abuse activities, Cualoping said.
"Bacolod is not that good but also not bad. We are somewhere in the middle in terms of implementation, the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council is very good," Cualoping added.
The launching was attended by 355 anti-drug abuse stakeholders from barangays, representatives from the city police office, local Department of Education officials and city social workers.
Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said that the city is very supportive in the reactivation of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council and will warmly embrace the policies, projects and programs mandated by the national government on its war on drugs.