Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto said on Monday, Nov. 18, that the city will continue and strengthen its anti-illegal drug campaign with the kick off of the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control (DAPC) week that seeks to enhance the city's fight against illegal drugs and to promote safer and healthier communities.
The Pasig City Anti-Drug Abuse Office (PCADAO) led the week-long event with the local theme, "The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention,” which aims to further strengthen the city’s anti-illegal drugs programs, particularly focusing on prevention efforts.
Sotto said the reminders from health experts, representatives from the peace and order sector, and the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) on the importance of tackling supply-side reduction by disrupting the flow of illegal drugs from dealers to pushers must be heeded.
He emphasized the need to focus on reducing the demand for illegal drugs. Sotto said despite the effectiveness of enforcement actions such as buy-bust operations and entrapments, the persistence of demand will inevitably sustain the supply side.
“Kahit anong operation, buy-bust, o entrapment ang gawin natin, kahit na ubusin o ipakulong na lahat ng existing na dealer o pusher, kapag may demand, may papalit lang po doon sa mga dealer and pushers (No matter how many operations we conduct—be it buy-busts or entrapments, and even if we arrest all existing dealers or pushers, as long as there is demand, someone will inevitably take over their place),” Sotto said.
He stated that it is important to strengthen what the city has already started, such as information and educational campaigns in schools and livelihood programs for families affected by illegal drugs, as key steps in addressing the issue.
During the event, PCADAO Officer-in-Charge Zenaida Concepcion launched “Line Up, Live Up," a program of the DDB and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the U.S. Embassy’s Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
The program seeks to guide the youth away from the risks of crime and violence through sports and other physical activities.
It also included a ceremonial destruction of an effigy which symbolized the city's commitment to the fight against illegal drugs.
Meanwhile, DDB-Office of the Deputy Executive Director for Administration, Officer-in-Charge Ma. Victoria C. Sorne commended the city’s unwavering support for the DDB’s initiatives.
Sorne said that the agency will focus on prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation programs, stressing the importance of helping individuals avoid illegal drug use and guiding Persons Who Use Drugs (PWUDs) toward recovery. She also called for reducing stigma and discrimination against PWUDs to aid in their transformation.
The local government said that following the kick-off ceremony, more activities are planned for DAPC week, including initiatives for PWUDs and their families, as well as collaborations with barangays for the rollout of the Line Up, Live Up program.