THE construction of more drug rehabilitation facilities natiowide and provide assistance to recovering drug addicts remained big challenges to the national government's campaign against illegal drugs, an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government said on Monday, March 11.
Interior and Local Government Assistant Secretary Ricojudge Jandier Echiverri made the admission during the joint meeting of the Regional Development Council (RDC) and Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) in Cebu City on Monday.
Both RDC Chairman Kenneth Cobonpue and RPOC Chairman and Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide Jr. said that the results of their meeting will be submitted to the Cabinet for further deliberation.
Echiverri further admitted that another challenge is the lack of funds for local government units to build rehabilitation centers for drug surrenderers which has reached 1.8 million when President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office in 2016.
Echiverri said Duterte signed Executive Order 66 or the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy (PADS) to make the illegal drug campaign a National Security Policy to enjoin the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), DILG, and LGUs to include it is their mandate.
He said that in EO 66, all LGUs are enjoined to establish and support Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers (DATRCs) and the establishment of community-based drug rehabilitation program (CBRPs), in supervision of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and Department of Health (DOH).
Echiverri said the LGUs can pass ordinances that will strengthen the campaign against illegal drugs.
Hopefully, the National Government can provide funds for LGUs which already have constructed rehabilitation centers.
“There must be reports on how many drug addicts were rehabilitated after they stopped the vice. Let’s profile everything from the time they surrender to the government to the time they were totally rehabilitated,” Echiverri added. (EOB)