DEPARTMENT of Interior and Local Government (DILG) 7 Director Jhoaden Lucero warned that barangay officials may face a complaint for dereliction of duty if they fail to organize a functional Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council.
DILG Cebu City Director Danilo Almendras, on the other hand, said anyone can file a case against barangay officials before the Office of the Ombudsman or the City Council as provided for under RA 9165.
The role of the anti-drug councils was highlighted last week following the buy-bust in Barangay Duljo-Fatima in Cebu City, where four boys aged nine to 14 were caught sniffing shabu. Seven adults were also arrested in the operation.
The Badac is composed of the councilor who heads the committee on peace and order, the head of the barangay tanods, the principals of the schools located in the barangays and the president of the community associations.
Its creation is in compliance with Republic Act (RA) 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The DILG and the Cebu Provincial Anti-drug Abuse Commission (CPADAC) agreed that majority of barangays in Cebu already have their Badac.
“But some are still not functional,” said DILG Provincial Director Gerome Gonzales.
“Only on papers,” was how CPADAC Executive Director Joey Herrera describe barangays who already have resolutions establishing their Badac, but which are not yet functioning.
Around 70 percent of Cebu Province’s barangays have submitted resolutions establishing the Badac, Herrera said.
Some have yet to come up with their action plan and accomplishment report to prove that their councils are not just true “in paper” for compliance.
Their respective Badac will be assessed by the Province’s “Just Say No” (JSN) program, said Gonzales.
Capitol’s JSN program through CPADAC has been conducting anti-drug training and symposium with LGU workers. The JSN training program will end in the middle of April and evaluation will start in June.
Gonzales said that through the JSN they will assess whether their Badac is functional or not.
If they fail, this will be reflected in their performance audit, specifically under social protection.
Social protection, disaster preparedness and good financial housekeeping are the three core assessment areas of the DILG for LGUs to receive the seal of good housekeeping.
Without the seal, an LGU may not avail itself of benefits from the National Government or apply for loan.
By June, CPADAC and Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (Rafi) will conduct its first evaluation of each barangay’s accomplishments, and they will be giving rewards and recognition.
Reaction
Association of Barangay Council (ABC) Cebu City Head Philip Zafra said the activation of the Badac should not be a basis on whether or not barangays are active in their campaign against illegal drugs.
He said that while most of the Badac are not fully operational, it doesn’t mean that the villages are not addressing the issue.
Zafra said the barangays still institute measures and are continuously campaigning against the use of illegal drugs in their areas.
Asked why most of the villages don’t have an active Badac, Zafra said that in most instances, the usual members of the anti-drug abuse councils are also members of other councils.
While the Badac is the first line of defense against illegal drugs, Zafra believes the issue have to be faced head on by the police force with the support of the villages.
Cebu City
Cebu City Police Office-City Intelligence Branch (CCPO-CIB) Chief Romeo Santander said village officials are the first line of defense against illegal drug trade.
“They know their barangays. They know what is happening,” he said.
Some of CIB’s operations came from various Badac reports, he said.
Of Cebu City’s 80 barangays, Santander said only 30 Badacs are active in the campaign against illegal drugs.
In a recent raid conducted by the CIB against a drug den in Barangay Duljo Fatima, Santander said concerned parents informed them about the illegal trade.
Operatives arrested the den’s two caretakers and its guard and seven men sniffing shabu.
Five minors having pot session were also rescued by CIB. The boys sell newspapers in downtown Cebu City.
Talisay City
While majority of barangays in Talisay City have their Badac, not all are functioning regularly.
Barangay Bulacao Chief Raul Cabañero, who is also the city’s Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) president, said majority of the city’s Badacs don’t function because barangay official fear retaliation from illegal drug personalities living within their respective areas.
Cabañero said that before, barangay officials often provide regular confidential reports to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on the presence of low to high-profile drug personalities in their areas.
Mandaue City
Last week, the DILG Mandaue City organized a workshop for the members of the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Cadac) to come up with a tool that will determine if a Badac is well-functioning or not.
Lucero, in a phone interview, said the monitoring tool will assess activities and accomplishments of the Badac.
“This tool will measure the functionality of the Badac,” she said.
The Cadac will assess each Badac’s pre-operation, operation and post-operation activities against illegal drugs.
She said they hope to give recognition to best-performing Badacs in December.