Drug abuse council seeks financial aid from DDB

THE City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Cadac) has requested through a resolution the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) to finance three drug rehabilitation facilities in Zamboanga City.

The resolution, authorized by Jury Rocamora of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), was approved during the Cadac meeting last Thursday, February 28.

Rocamora pushed for the passage of the resolution after Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar, Cadac chairperson, informed the body that she had spoken to an official of DDB telling her this city can ask funds from the board for three priority projects implementable within three years.

The priority projects that Cadac wants DDB to finance are the building components of “Balay Silangan,” a rehabilitation facility for drug pushers; the community-based rehabilitation program for drug users; and, the “Sagip Batang Solvent” Reformatory Center for mostly street children addicted to sniffing rugby.

The city government will provide the lots as a counterpart in putting up the projects.

However, Salazar said in case DDB funds are not possible, the city government through Cadac will allocate funds for the three projects in the budget for the coming years.

Meanwhile, Dr. Elmeir Jade Apolinario, head of the Cadac secretariat, announced that funds are now available for the retooling of police investigators in the conduct of anti-drug operations.

The need for police investigators to undergo retraining on drug apprehensions came after observations that a number of drug cases filed with the city prosecutor’s office and the courts had been dismissed due to technicalities in the presentation of evidence, documentation and other inconsistencies in the affidavits of the apprehending officers. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)