THE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) said 31 of Davao City's 182 villages were cleared of drugs as a result of the intensive campaign against illegal drugs.
DCPO spokesperson Catherine dela Rey said as of February 25, the 31 villages cited no longer have any record of identified users and pushers as well as no existence of laboratories or drug dens in the area.
“Pagsabihing drug-free wala talagang illegal drugs sa lugar (If we say drug-free, it means there are no illegal drugs in the place). If after declaration at may information na meron bumalik kahit isa,, cancelled po ang certification as drug free (and there’s an information that illegal drugs are present in the place again, the certification as drug-free will be cancelled),” dela Rey told SunStar Davao.
Declared drug-free under the area of responsibility (AOR) of specific police stations:
Buhangin Police Station - Waan, Callawa, Mandug, Acacia, Indangan, Communal, Tigatto and Cabantian. There are 13 villages in Buhangin District.
Bunawan Police Station - Mudiang, Mahayag and Gatungan. There are nine villages in Bunawan District.
Toril Police Station - Sibulan and Camansi. Toril District has 25 villages.
Tugbok Police Station - Angalan. Tugbok has 18 villages.
Calinan Police Station - Inayangan, Megcawayan, Lamanan and Saloy. Calinan has 19 villages.
Baguio Police Station - Tambobong, Carmen, Baguio, and Cadalian. Baguio has eight villages.
Paquibato Police Station - Paquibato, Lumiad, Mapula, Salapawan, and Tapak. Paquibato has 13 villages.
Marilog Police Station - Bantol, Baganihan, Dalaglumot, and Malamba.
The 65 villages in Poblacion, Talomo, and Agdao districts are covered by the San Pedro, Sta. Ana, and Matina Police Stations with sub-stations covering Ulas and Agdao. Not one of the 65 in the city center is drug-free.
After clearing of the drug-affected villages, the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils concerned shall issue a certification declaring their respective villages as drug-free.
These certificates shall be confirmed by the concerned Cada or Madacs, parish, school principals, chief of police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency representatives.
A “drug-cleared” status means that authorities have validated the non-availability of narcotics supplies in the barangay, and the absence of drug transit or transshipment activities, clandestine illegal drugs laboratories, clandestine illegal drugs warehouses, clandestine chemical warehouses, marijuana cultivation sites, illegal drug dens, dives, or resorts; and the absence of illegal drug pushers, users, dependents, protectors, coddlers and financiers.
The Anti-Drug Abuse Committee through the Department of Interior Local Government and the National Barangay Operations Office will submit reports of villages' anti-illegal drug operations and sustaining their status.