PERSONNEL from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) will soon be receiving a monthly allowance from the Cebu City government.
This is if the proposed ordinance of Cebu City Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr. gets approved by the Cebu City Council.
“Our mayor has been strongly fighting against illegal drugs. One of the agencies that’s fighting illegal drugs is not only the police but also the PDEA. That’s why we want to include them in the allowances granted by the city,” said Gabuya in an interview.
His proposed ordinance seeks to amend the city’s annual budget ordinance for this year which doesn’t include allowances for PDEA 7 personnel yet.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña earlier announced that the city would give support to the PDEA after meeting with newly appointed PDEA-7 Director Yogi Filemon Ruiz last month.
Initially, Osmeña said each of PDEA’s personnel should receive the same amount that has been given by the city to each police officer which was P4,000 a month.
The city had also provided two service vehicles to PDEA last month, including a monthly fuel allocation.
Gabuya’s proposed ordinance was referred by the council to its committee on laws for review and assessment.
Gabuya cited the PDEA as the lead anti-drug law enforcement agency, which is responsible for preventing, investigating and combating any dangerous drugs, controlled precursors and chemicals within the country.
“The agency is tasked with the enforcement of the penal and regulatory provisions of Republic Act No. 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002,” he said in his proposed ordinance.
Gabuya also said that if his proposed ordinance would be approved by the City Council, then the city government could still provide the allowance to PDEA for the remaining months of the year.
He said though that the allowance would already be included in the proposal of the Executive Department for the 2017 annual budget which would to be submitted on or before October 15.