6 Iloilo villages considered areas of drug concern
THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has considered six villages in Iloilo City as areas of concern in relation to the proliferation of illegal drugs.
The villages of Bakhaw in Mandurriao District and Desamparados in Jaro District are covered by the Prevendido drug group and are known as hosting several drug dens, according to PDEA, while four other villages are considered covered under the Odicta group with pushers but with no more drug dens.
The villages under the Odicta group are Tanza-Esperanza and Monica in the city proper, South San Jose and Boulevard in Molo District.
PDEA regional director Paul Ledesma disclosed the information during the year-end assessment report on peace and order in the city held on December 23 at the City Hall penthouse.
The report is conducted by the Iloilo City Peace and Order Council (ICPOC) and the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Badac).
Ledesma said the unified drug campaign started in 2014-2015 in this city participated by law enforcement agencies, non-government organizations, civil society, and the villages as an all-out campaign on supply and demand reduction against illegal drugs.
Police and PDEA also conducted an arresting average of 15 pushers per month with 45 percent conviction rate while the police are concentrating on local personalities and PDEA on high-value targets.
Ledesma acknowledged the usual drug routes are presented by several roll-on-roll-off vessels in the Western Visayas.
There is no known marijuana plantation site in Western Visayas and no clandestine laboratory that produces shabu and is the only region in the country with no marijuana plantation.
The drug pie chart also showed that out of 180 city villages, 97 are not affected with the drug problem, 61 are affected and 22 are already cleared of drug personalities.
Also, 125 villages have complied with the BADAC report in 2014 detailing the drug situation and personalities in their respective area.
Mabilog said all villages have already reactivated their anti-drug abuse councils in the serious campaign against illegal drugs.