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[av_heading heading=’Maasin not yet ‘off the hook’ ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO City – Maasin, Iloilo’s achieving drug-free status is one thing. Maintaining such status is another.
The monitoring of the municipality will continue, according to Regional Director Gil Pabilona of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
“If there’s a reported resurgence of illegal drug activities in the barangays, the municipal oversight committee can call for an investigation. All actions taken should be reported to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG),” said Pabilona.
PDEA formally declared Maasin drug-free on July 14.
“Every quarter there will be a validation. We will check if the barangays are maintaining or sustaining their drug-free status,” stressed Pabilona.
A DILG memorandum stressed the importance of barangay anti-drug abuse councils (BADACs) led by the barangay captain in the campaign against illegal drugs.
Also under the DILG memorandum, failure of local officials to appropriate a portion of their budgets to assist or enhance the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 is a ground for disapproval of a barangay’s annual budget. Administrative charges for dereliction of duty will be filed against derelict barangay officials.
A previous assessment showed that 18 of Maasin’s 50 barangays were drug-affected. Barangay drug-clearing operations were then conducted.
PDEA declared Maasin drug-free after validation showed that the drug-clearing operations in the 18 villages were successful.
“Tuloy-tuloy po ang monitoring kahit na-declare na po na drug-free ang municipality ng Maasin,” said Pabilona.
Should identified drug personalities and surrenderers resume their illegal activities, the municipal oversight committee has to inform the barangay officials concerned, he stressed.
House visits may be conducted, said Pabilona, and the drug personalities encouraged to surrender or seek rehabilitation.
Negligent barangay officials face administrative and even criminal charges, he warned.
“If we find out that there are drug personalities in your barangays and you failed to take action within 30 days, we will be forced to file charges against you. ‘Yan ang mabigat na responsibility kapag na-declare as drug-free ang barangay. Nasa Dangerous Drugs Board regulation po ‘yan,” said Pabilona.
To further dramatize Maasin’s drug-free status, Mayor Mariano Malones subjected 187 municipal government employees, 500 barangay officials, 700 barangay tanods, and 47 drug surrenderers to a “surprise” drug test on July 11. All of them passed the test.
President Rodrigo Duterte accused Malones of being an illegal drugs protector in August last year.
Maasin is a fourth-class municipality. The 2015 census placed its population at 36,922.
“We did all we can to cleanse Maasin,” said Malones.
He denied being involved in illegal drugs./PN
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