Cebu declares 60 more barangays as drug-cleared

CEBU Province yesterday declared another 60 barangays as drug cleared.

Borbon town has the highest number of new drug cleared barangays at 18, followed by Tabogon with 17, Alegria with nine, Oslob and San Fernando with four, Medellin with three and Samboan with two.

Naga City and the towns of Sogod and San Remigio each have one newly declared drug cleared barangay.

Four barangays in San Francisco, Camotes were also declared drug cleared. In April, 2017, Camotes Island was also declared ‘drug free’ by Senior Supt. Eric Noble, the former Cebu Province Police Director.

The drug cleared status was approved by the oversight committee composed of the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (CPADAO), Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Department of Local and Interior Government (DILG) and the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO).

A barangay is considereds drug cleared if PDEA and PNP-CPPO can confirm the absence of drug supply or drug transit activities, drug laboratories and warehouse, marijuana cultivation sites, drug dens, users and pushers and drug protectors.

It should also have a comprehensive, community-based drug rehabilitation program verified by the DOH.

Cebu province has 245 barangays which were declared as drug cleared and this status was sustained.

This makes up 22.8 percent of the 1,066 barangays of the province and has qualified for the DILG’s Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG). “Of course we’re happy to meet all the requirements,” said Gov. Hilario Davide III.

The Capitol has been a recipient of the seal for the past three consecutive years. /with STC Intern Candy Morr Baraga