THE city government has pledged to further intensify its support and assistance to agencies enforcing anti-drug operations and programs with the ultimate goal of clearing Zamboanga City of drug abuse.

Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said the city government provides free drug testing kits and incentives to tipsters and operatives apart from providing equipment.

Salazar said the city government is also collaborating with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), police and other law enforcement agencies in the conduct of information drives in the villages to drum up awareness on drug prevention and control.

The mayor also intends to come up with a general assembly of all villages where issues about drug clearing operations and other issues related to the anti-drug war will be discussed.

Salazar said she will also reiterate her request to the national government to provide the PDEA with marked money, which is very vital in anti-drug operations.

The mayor vowed to bring the matter anew during the Peace and Order Council-Mindanao Cluster meeting slated to take place sometime this month.

“We will do more activities to help our city and clear it of drug abuse,” Salazar emphasized.

“We are all out in our support to President (Rodrigo) Duterte’s anti-drug war,” she added. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)