• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported yesterday that drug cleared barangays in Negros Occidental have risen to 408 out of the 601 villages in the province, excluding the 61 barangays of highly urbanized Bacolod City.
Based on that statistic, a total of 193 barangays in Negros Occidental are to be cleared yet of the drug menace.
PDEA provincial chief Jeanette Reyes said drug cleared barangays increased from 65 percent during the first quarter to 67.5 percent in the second quarter of the year.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson yesterday encouraged barangay leaders to make an effort in the helping the clearing of their respective villages of the proliferation of illegal drugs.
While he acknowledged that clearing of drug affected barangays in Negros Occidental appeared to be slow, Lacson stressed the need to further strengthen the anti-illegal drugs campaign.
Reyes also reported that the San Carlos City government is eyeing the purchase of K9 dogs to help PDEA and Coast Guard authorities in preventing the entry of illegal drugs from neighboring islands.
San Carlos City is considered by authorities as the gateway of illegal drugs from Cebu and Mindanao.*
