ILOILO City – A total of 3,381 villages across Western Visayas are now free from illegal drugs, based on the assessment of the multi-agency Regional Oversight Committee (ROC) on Dangerous Drugs.
These barangays were 83.46 percent of the region’s total 4,051 villages, data (as of June 2) from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 6 showed.
Provinces with the most number of drug-cleared barangays were Aklan, Antique and Iloilo.
Only one village in Aklan – Barangay Poblacion in Kalibo town – has yet to be cleared, according to PDEA-6 spokesperson Shey Tanaleon.
Aklan has 327 barangays.
Meanwhile, only four out of the 590 villages in Antique have yet to be declared free from illegal drugs, too.
In Iloilo province, on the other hand, 72 barangays (out of the total 1,721) have yet to be cleared.
Here’s the percentage of drug-cleared villages in the region (as of June 2):
* Aklan – 99.98 percent
* Antique – 99.32 percent
* Iloilo province – 95.81 percent
* Guimaras – 93.81 percent
* Capiz – 78.77 percent
* Iloilo City – 47.77 percent
* Negros Occidental – 42.92 percent
* Bacolod City – 21.31 percent
Tanaleon said all cleared barangays are subject for revalidation.
A village that could not maintain its drug-cleared status would have to apply again with the Regional Oversight Committee.
Tanaleon said the coronavirus pandemic may have derailed the illegal drug trade; entry and exit points of provinces, cities, towns, and barangays are heavily-guarded due to the community quarantine being imposed.
“Drug pushers could not really market their drugs due to border restrictions,” Tanaleon said.
But she did not discount the possibility that some drug groups would tap the services of unemployed individuals.
Bacolod City and Negros Occidental are still among the main drug sources in the region based on the revelation of arrested drug pushers./PN
