BY GLENDA TAYONA
ILOILO City – The city government of Iloilo reiterated its support to the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDEA) campaign against illegal drugs.
“We must not allow the drug menace to affect our communities. We should all work together to eradicate this,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas.
The city government, he said, is committed to give all the necessary support so that the Iloilo City Police Office and PDEA are able to ensure the safety of communities.
Treñas cited more Iloilo City Action and Response (I-CARE) substations to be established soon to bring the police even closer to the communities.
These I-CARE substations will be situated at Megaworld in Mandurriao district and in barangays Nabitasan in La Paz, So-oc in Arevalo and Esperanza in the City Proper.
There are already two I-CARE substations – one in Barangay Calumpang, Molo and the other in Barangay Balantang, Jaro.
Another one, the Ungka substation, will be completed soon as well as the I-CARE Command Center at Gaisano Center in Mandurriao.
“The city has invested a lot in these infrastructures aside from police cars, gun, SWAT vans, ammunition, motorcycles and even a canine unit. We will continue to do so,” said Treñas.
The ICPO recently deployed more police personnel to two drug-affected villages, Barangay Tanza Esperanza in the City Proper and Barangay Bakhaw in Mandurriao district.
ICPO spokesperson Police Major Shella Mae Sangrines said barangay officials requested the police deployment.
“Priority gid sang aton police to monitor sang hulag sang mga drug pushers,” said Sangrines.
Citing the assessment of Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (BADACs) and barangay officials of the two barangays, Sangrines said drug personalities have returned.
Data from PDEA showed 171 of the city’s 180 barangays are affected by illegal drugs./PN
