BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing,composed of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Philippine National Police, Departments of Interior and Local Government, as well as Health, reported yesterday that a total of 194 barangays in Western Visayas, have retained their status as drug cleared.
Of the barangays, 53 of them are in Negros Occidental, while others are in Antique, Capiz and Guimaras, a PDEA report said.
In a statement, PDEA reported that all the 194 villages have duly passed all parameters in clearing barangays of the drug menace during the validation process made by the regional oversight committee, in a meeting was presided over by Director II Donelyn Hemedez, in behalf of PDEA regional director Alex Tablate, on May 17 at Camp Martin Delgado in Iloilo City.
Of the 53 barangays in Negros Occidental, PDEA reports said that 13 are in Moises Padilla, 19 in Pulupandan, 11 in Sipalay City, six in Don Salvador Benedicto and four in Toboso.
PDEA said that it will continue to closely collaborate with the other agencies, such as the Philippine National Police, Department of Health as well as Department of Interior and Local Government to increase the number of barangays cleared of illegal drugs.
There are 662 barangays in Negros Occidental, including the 61 villages of Bacolod City.*
