By Chito Chavez
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) led the awarding of drug- cleared barangays in Central Luzon as it strengthens its anti-drug advocacy campaign.
PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino ordered the agency’s regional offices to conduct this program as part of the PDEA’s bid to clear the 24,000 barangays nationwide to be drug-free before the term of President Duterte ends in 2022.
PDEA Director-General Aaron Aquino
(Kevin Tristan Espiritu / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
PDEA Region 3 Director Gil Pabilona led the Re-orientation in the Implementation of Barangay Drug Clearing Program and Awarding of Drug-Cleared barangay certificates in Mexico, Pampanga.
Prior to this, PDEA Regional Office III conducted a lecture at the Municipal Building of Hagonoy, Bulacan concerning Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Regulation No.3, Strengthening the Implementation of Barangay Drug Clearing Program.
During the lecture, discussions were thoroughly passed on to the barangay officials, municipal officials, and the members of Hagonoy Police Station on the legal bases of the Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ADACs), the roles and duties of Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADACs) and the Guidelines on Voluntarily Surrender of Drug Users and Dependents and Monitoring Mechanism of Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Campaigns as cited in DDB Regulation No. 4, Series of 2016 re: OPLAN SAGIP.
Earlier, the anti-drug summit in the city of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan was attended by Assistant Secretary RuelLasala, deputy director general for operations where the agency urged the 896 SK and barangay officials to actively support the governments campaign against illegal drugs.
Also present during the event were DILG Undersecretary Martin Diño, Mayor Arturo Robes, and Vice Mayor EfrenBartolome.
“This was specifically conducted to inform barangay officials of their role in clearing their localities of dangerous drugs and their perpetrators. As leader of their localities, they know their constituents who are involved in illegal drug activities,” Aquino concluded. (Chito Chavez)