• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported on Thursday that 489 of 601 Negros Occidental barangays, excluding highly urbanized Bacolod City, have been declared as drug-cleared villages.
All over Western Visayas, PDEA reported that provinces of Aklan, Guimaras and Antique are 100 percent drug-cleared, while Iloilo province is 99.59 percent, Capiz – 93.45 percent, Iloilo City – 52.78 percent, while 34.43 percent of 61 barangays in Bacolod City are drug-cleared, as of this time.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who presided over the 3rd quarter Provincial Peace and Order Council and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council meeting held at Negros Residences in Bacolod City, said he noted that there are more drug-cleared areas now in the province, although the target is to go 100 percent drug cleared barangays.
Lacson lauded the PDEA and PNP for a job well done, as he also observed that barangay officials have realized the importance of having their villages drug-cleared.
While it is a tall order, the governor wants PDEA and PNP to make all Negros Occidental barangays drug-cleared, in the same way other provinces in Western Visayas have done so.
The PDEA and PNP are now focusing their efforts, not only maintaining the 489 barangays that have been drug-cleared, but also in eradicating the drug menace in the remaining 112 barangays of the province.
The Negros Occidental LGUs reported by PDEA as 100 percent drug-cleared are E.B Magalona, Candoni, La Castellana, Manapla, Moises Padilla, Pulupandan, Valladolid, and cities of Victorias, Bago, Silay, and Sipalay.
PDEA also reported that there are eight Balay Silangan Reformation Centers established in Negros Occidental, and one in Bacolod City.*