BACOLOD CITY – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said 3,656 out of the 4,051 barangays in Western Visayas or 90.25 percent have been cleared of illegal drugs.
A PHILIPPINE Drug Enforcement Agency K-9 inspects luggage at the public transport terminal in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental as part of the efforts to reduce the supply of illegal drugs and prevent and deter the transportation of illegal drugs using the facility. (Photo courtesy of PDEA-Negros Occidental)
PDEA said 2,337 were drug-cleared while 1,319 were drug-free and 395 barangays have yet to be cleared. Barangays in Guimaras and Aklan are 100 percent drug-cleared while this city has the least number of drug-cleared barangays with only 14 out of 61 or 22.95 percent. Iloilo has 1,696 drug-cleared barangays, followed by Antique with 588 and Capiz with 431. Negros Occidental has 408 drug-cleared and drug-free barangays out of 601 while Iloilo City has 94. No clandestine laboratories and chemical warehouses were reported or dismantled. Western Visayas is a consuming region and transshipment, according to PDEA-Western Visayas. The PDEA recommended to intensify barangay drug-clearing programs especially on the rehabilitation of people who used drugs (PWUDs) and strengthen supply reduction efforts. It also said that ports are still being utilized for illicit entry of illegal drugs from sourced region to Western Visayas. Thus, the agency suggested border control in seaports and airports through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and utilization of additional K9 narcotics detection units and use of X-ray machines.