DECLARING a barangay as “drug-free” is a misnomer because under the present situation where there is a massive proliferation of illegal drugs a drug-free barangay does not exist. Authorities cannot even control the illegal drug trade in our jail facilities where the movements of the prisoners are highly restricted and closely monitored, how much more in a community where people can just come and go.
At one point, during a forum, Police Regional Office (PRO 7) Chief Debold Sinas even questioned such a declaration. He cited Bogo City which was declared as a “drug-free” city by the Oversight Committee. Yet the police still made arrests of drug personalities during buy-bust operations there. How could that be?
Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (Cpadao) chairperson Ivy Durano-Meca recently said that 49 out of 245 supposedly “drug-free” barangays in the province may lose their status for their failure to sustain their anti-drug programs, especially their failure to produce graduates in their community-based rehabilitation program for drug surrenderers.
Under Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 3 of 2017, an Oversight Committee (OC) chaired by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, with representatives from the Philippine National Police, Department of Health, Department of the Interior and Local Government and the local government unit as members, will assess and evaluate the status of the barangay before it issues a certificate declaring it as “drug free.” In the case of Cebu province, Meca is its representative in the OC.
And what are the requirements? Non-availability of drug supply; absence of drug dens, pushers and users; absence of clandestine drug laboratory; active involvement of barangay officials in anti-drug activities; existence of drug awareness, preventive education and information; existence of voluntary and compulsory drug treatment and rehabilitation processing desk.
Would you believe these barangays declared as “drug free” met the number one and number two requirements? Where can you find a barangay in this country where there are no drugs, no pushers and no users, even if they are transients?
Under the regulation, barangay officials should adopt measures in preventing the spread or eradicating drug abuse within their areas. That is why there is the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Badac). But what if the barangay officials are involved in illegal drug activities?
The regulation also prescribes three phases of clearing drug-affected barangays; the pre-operation phase starts with laying the groundwork and bases for effective and sustainable clearing operations. The operation phase is the actual implementation of drug supply and demand reduction strategies. The post-operation phase aims to maintain the “drug-cleared” status of the barangays through support activities to be funded from the general fund of the barangay.
I hope the OC and Cpadao, especially its chairperson Ivy Meca, will stop fooling themselves and the public about this declaration of “drug-free” barangays. Gitonto ra ninyo inyong kaugalingon.