ROXAS City – Five villages in this city have already been declared “drug-cleared.”
This came after the deliberation of the Regional Oversight Committee composed of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Department of Health, Philippine National Police, and Department of the Interior and Local Government.
The drug-cleared villages include barangays III, IV, VI, Olotayan, and Talon, said City Police Community Affairs and Development-Police non-commissioned officer Roldan Diama.
He said that these barangays have complied with all the parameters and requirements set by PDEA for declaring said status.
Dr. Faye Besana of the Roxas City Health Office, during the meeting of the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council, said that the next batch of the remaining drug surrenderers will undergo the Community-Based Rehabilitation Program on August.
As of June 2019, there were 1,571 drug surrenderers here since the start of the intensified drug campaign in July 2016 dubbed as “Oplan Tokhang: Double Barrel” program.
“Of the total surrenderers, around 800 of them underwent the Community-Based Rehabilitation Program last year, of whom 443 have completed the program as of April 2019,” said Diama.
Record also showed that of the 47 city villages here, 25 were classified as moderately affected, 21 slightly affected and one unaffected by illegal drugs.
Meanwhile, Roxas city police station chief Lieutenant Colonel Dante Tayco said there is no let-up in the anti-illegal drug campaign in the city.
He called on the support and cooperation of the public, particularly the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils, in the war against illegal drugs for a peaceful and safe community. (With a report from PIA/PN)
