AUTHORITIES have declared 20 barangays in three southern towns as free from illegal drugs: eight in Santander, eight in Boljoon, and four in Alcoy.
According to Chief Insp. Ryan Manongdo, Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) deputy director for operations, these barangays are “drug-cleared.”
He said the Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Madac) of each town made the declaration.
The CPPO will validate the reports before an endorsement will be made to the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office, he said.
The police official said the barangays met the parameters set by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) resolution.
A drug-cleared barangay is “previously drug affected and subjected to drug-clearing operations and declared free from any illegal drug activities,” according to the DDB’s Resolution 2 Series of 2016, which amended the original resolution passed in 2007.
“Once pumasa sa mga (they pass the) parameters, then we can’t stop a barangay to be cleared. The question is how to maintain ‘drug-cleared’ barangay,’” said Manongdo.
Manongdo said the CPPO will also implement its Project Ronald (Reinforced Operations against Narcotics by Activating Local Defenses) in a drug-cleared village. The program aims to prevent junkies and pushers from returning to their old habits by monitoring them.
Certification needed
Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Joel Doria, for his part, admitted that all the city’s 80 barangays are affected by illegal drugs.
“If we can clear one, two or even three, that will be a big deal,” he said in Tagalog.
He said they will conduct their “clearing” operations in the mountain barangays first in coordination with the Cebu City Public Safety Company and the concerned police stations.
Doria said they are being careful in declaring a barangay drug-free so their efforts won’t be wasted.
They will operate in one barangay at a time and they will continue to monitor the barangay once they’re done, he said.
As soon as the barangay is declared cleared, this will have to be approved by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the mayor.
Doria said it is not hard to declare a barangay drug-free.
He said they have cleared some barangays, but he won’t say which ones for security purposes.
Parameters
The parameters for attaining a drug-cleared status in the barangay are the non-availability of drug supply; absence of drug transit or transshipment activity; absence of clandestine drug laboratory; absence of clandestine drug warehouse; absence of clandestine chemical warehouse; absence of marijuana cultivation site; and absence of drug den, dive or resort.
The other factors, according to DDB, are the absences of drug pushers, drug users or dependents, and protectors or coddlers and financiers.
DDB also mandates that barangay officials should be active in anti-drug activities, and members of the Sangguniang Kabataan should help maintain the drug-liberated status of the barangay.
There should also be drug awareness, preventive education and information, and other related programs, and voluntary and compulsory drug treatment and a rehabilitation processing desk.
A barangay is said to be “slightly affected” when only a drug user exists in the area and it has no known drug pusher.
The village is “moderately affected” if at least one suspected pusher exists in the area, while it is “seriously affected” if it has at least one suspected drug laboratory, a warehouse, a den, dive, resort or similar establishment, or marijuana cultivation site.
“Ninja ex-cop”
Meanwhile, The director of CPPO has urged the public to report any active and former cops involved in the illegal drug trade.
“No mercy will be shown to offenders,” said Senior Supt. Eric Escosio Noble.
Last Thursday night, dismissed police officer Sandro Casida Arriesgado, 48, was caught in Barangay Poblacion, San Remigio.
He is a son of a lawyer and nephew of a former judge.
Arriesgado’s alleged girlfriend Hazel Abao Vega, 23, was also arrested during the operation.
The team led by San Remigio Police Chief Audie Pelayo seized P1,500 worth of illegal drugs, .9mm pistol, five bullets, magazine and the P500 marked bill from the suspects.
“We will not stop until these criminals are crushed,” said Noble.
Arriesgado, a native of Masbate City, entered the Philippine National Police in 1999. He was dismissed from service after he was declared absent without official leave in 2005.
He had been assigned in the Mandaue City Police Office.
Complaints for violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, were filed yesterday against the suspects before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Cebu City.
A separate complaint for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition was also filed against Arriesgado. Jenevie Cabajar USJ-R Intern