An additional 29 barangays in Western Visayas, including 12 from Negros Occidental, were declared cleared from illegal drugs by the Regional Oversight Committee on Dangerous Drugs, in a deliberation held in Leganes, Iloilo, yesterday.
These include barangays Pantao in Calatrava, Basak in Cauayan, Damgo in EB Magalona, Camba-og of Hinigaran, I Poblacion in Hinoba-an, Buenavista from Himamaylan City, Banog-banog of Isabela, Andulauan of Ilog, Puey of Sagay City, Kapitan Ramon from Silay City, Zone 7 of Talisay City, and 15-A of Victorias City, all in Negros Occidental;
Balabag and Mali-ao from Pavia in Iloilo, Tigayon in Kalibo, Yapak in Malay, Poblacion and Polo in New Washington, and Camanci Norte in Numancia in Aklan, Angub in Cuartero, Agcococ, Acuna, and Apero in Tapaz in Capiz, and Old Poblacion in Buenavista, Hoskyn in Jordan, Lucmayan in Nueva Valencia and M. Chavez, Sebario and Suclaran in San Lorenzo, all in Guimaras.
Shey Tanaleon, the spokesperson for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 6, said 42 candidate barangays from 26 local government units in Western Visayas were screened and assessed by the committee, and 29 were found to be compliant with the Barangay Drug Clearing Program as mandated by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Reg. 3 series of 2017.
The number increased the total cleared barangays to 3,282 of the 4,051 barangays in the region.
“PDEA-6 will continue to closely collaborate with the concerned counterparts to increase the number of barangays to be cleared through proper implementation of DDB Regulation No. 3, series of 2017, and the Omnibus Procedures in Declaring a Drug Affected Barangay as Drug Cleared,” she said.
Tanaleon said that, as of yesterday, 81.017 percent of barangays in the region are already cleared of illegal drugs.
The Regional Oversight Committee on Dangerous Drugs is chaired by PDEA, and joined by the regional offices of the Police National Police, Department of Health, and Department of the Interior and Local Government as members.*PNA
