ILOILO City – Eighty-three villages or 46.11 percent of this city’s 180 barangays have so far been cleared of illegal drugs by the national government’s regional oversight committee on the campaign against drug trafficking.
There’s 97 more barangays waiting to be cleared.
The City Proper district has so far the highest number of drug-cleared barangays (30) followed by Jaro district (18) and Molo district (10).
In Mandurriao district, nine barangays have so far been cleared; seven in La Paz district, five in Arevalo district and four in Lapuz district.
“We would like to thank various agencies for strengthening the drug-clearing program. Padayon lang kita,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas, referring to, among others, the Philippine National Police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
PDEA Region 6, lead agency of the regional oversight committee, has identified the drug-cleared barangays per district.
* Arevalo – barangays Mohon, Quezon, San Jose, Sta. Cruz, Sta. Filomena
* City Proper – barangays Arsenal Aduana, Danao, Ed Ganzon, Flores, Gloria, Hipodromo, Inday, Kahirupan, Kauswagan, Legaspi De La Rama, Liberation, Magsaysay, Maria Clara, Nonoy, Ortiz, Osmeña, President Roxas, Rima-Rizal, Rizal Ibarra, Roxas Village, Sampaguita, San Agustin, San Felix, San Jose, Sto. Rosario Duran, Tanza Bonifacio, Tanza Timaza Zone 1, Tanza Timawa Zone 2, Veterans Village, Yulo Arroyo
* Jaro – barangays Arguelles, Buhang, Buntatala, Democracia, Dungon A, El 98 Castilla, Javellana, Lopez Jaena, Luna, MH del Pilar, Montinola, MV Hechanova, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Lourdes, San Jose, San Roque, Seminario, Sta. Isabel
* La Paz – barangays Aguinaldo, Bantud, Banuyao, Burgos, Hinactacan, Lopez Jaena Sur, Luna
* Lapuz – barangays Jalandoni Estate, Libertad, Loboc, Punong
* Mandurriao – barangays Calahunan, Dungon C, Guzman-Jesena, Pali-Benedicto, PHHC Block 17, PHHC Block 22, San Rafael, Santa Rosa, Taft North.
* Molo – barangays Avanceña, Cochero, Infante, North Fundidor, Poblacion, San Antonio, South Fundidor San Pedro, Taal, Tap-oc
These barangays were able to meet the parameters set by the Dangerous Drugs Board such as the rehabilitation of drug surrenderers.
The other parameters barangays must meet to achieve a drug-cleared status are the following:
* non-availability of illegal drugs
* absence of drug dens, pushers and users, protectors or financiers
* absence of clandestine drug laboratories, warehouses, marijuana cultivation sites
* no drug transit or transshipment activity
* active involvement of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials in anti-drug activities
* conduct of drug awareness, preventive education and information campaign
* operation of voluntary and compulsory drug treatment and rehabilitation processing desk
The regional oversight committee is made up of PDEA-6, regional offices of the Department of Health and Department of Interior and Local Government, and the Police Regional Office 6./PN
