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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO City – The deadline for this city’s barangays to comply with the requirements to be declared drug-free has been moved to September.
“During consultations, barangay officials said they found it difficult to meet the requirements this month,” said Atty. Gil Pabilona, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 6.
The barangays were initially given until July 11 but as of July 31, only two were able to submit the needed documents – Barangay Santo Domingo, Arevalo and Barangay Pali, Mandurriao – on the following criteria:
* non-availability of illegal drugs
* absence of illegal drug transshipment activity
* absence of clandestine illegal drug laboratory
* absence of clandestine illegal drug warehouse
* absence of clandestine illegal chemical warehouse
* absence of marijuana cultivation site
* absence of drug den
* absence of drug pushers
* absence of drug users/dependents
* absence of protectors/coddlers and financiers
“There has to be a deadline. If there isn’t one, no one would feel obliged to comply,” said Pabilona.
After submission, the documents would be verified.
Pabilona said those that Barangay Santo Domingo and Barangay Pali submitted were yet to be reviewed.
“We have to validate (the documents such as those on) drug personalities, whether they have undergone screening, rehabilitation or aftercare,” said Pabilona.
The rehabilitation of identified drug personalities is one of the crucial requirements in declaring a barangay drug-cleared, he stressed.
Some barangays said this was one thing they found difficult to do because some identified drug personalities refused rehabilitation, said Pabilona.
Last week, the city government announced it won’t issue permits for whatever activities of barangays that were uncooperative in the campaign to clear their areas of illegal drugs.
These permits included those for barangay fiesta activities such as parades, programs, perya, sound systems, and binayle (benefit dance), among others, said Councilor Reyland Hervias, president of the city’s Liga ng mga Barangay.
Only “traditional religious activities” in these barangays would be issued permits such as processions, he stressed.
The city has 180 barangays./PN
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