SOME 119 villages in Northern Mindanao have been declared “free from illegal drugs,” a report from the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Northern Mindanao revealed.
The data as of January 5 showed that out of 2,022 villages under the jurisdiction of PRO, 568 are considered drug-affected while another 119 are said to be “cleared” as certified by the police and village chiefs.
Of the 568 drug-affected villages, 532 are “slightly affected,” 36 are “moderately affected.”
The same report quote police, village officials, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency that not one village is “seriously-affected” by the illegal drug menace.
Also, out of the 424 villages in Misamis Oriental, 113 are “drug-affected” and 21 have been “cleared” while from the 464 total villages in Bukidnon, 24 out of 99 villages affected by illegal drugs are now declared “cleared.”
Misamis Occidental had the most number of drug-affected villages with 150. It has the most number of villages in the region with 490, 67 of which are said to be now drug free.
Camiguin and Lanao del Norte have yet to clear the 24 and 101 drug-affected villages in the said provinces, respectively.
The data also showed the 35 drug-affected villages in Iligan City have not been cleared from illegal drug activities.
Cagayan de Oro City, which has 80 villages, has seven of the 46 drug-affected villages drug-free.
Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) spokesperson Allan Curato identified the barangays 8, 6, 37, 38, 39, 21, and 23 as drug-free.
Curato said village chiefs have certified that the said villages are cleared from illegal drugs.
“Ang kulang na lang is resolution from the Badac (Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council) kay wala paman sila ka session (The only thing needed is the resolution from the Badac since they haven’t gone in a session),” he said.
The Cocpo spokesperson added other basis for the declaration is the resolution of the Dangerous Drugs Board which monitored these villages as now having lesser drug activities.
“Pero dili buot pasabot nga wala na gyud. Siguro naay uban moanha aron mamaligya pero as a whole, wala na gyud major nga drug activities (It does not mean they are totally gone. Maybe there will be someone who will sell drugs but as a whole there are no major drug activities),” Curato said.
PRO spokesperson Surki Sereñas said the villages declared as drug-free have complied with the requirements.
He also said other bases are the programs conducted by the village like drug rehabilitation, drug symposia, among others.
“Dili necessary nga drug free na gyud pero part sa mechanism ang continuous nga monitoring (It is not necessary to be completely drug free but it is a part of the mechanism to monitor continuously) and other programs,” Sereñas said.