Some villages face revocation of drug-cleared status

SOME barangays in the province face revocation of their drug-cleared status for failure to monitor their drug surrenderers, provide a community-based rehabilitation program or failing to submit reports about the status of their drug surrenderers.

Carmen Remedios Durano – Meca, head of the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (CPADAO), said they have identified about 20 percent of the 245 drug-cleared barangays who have failed to sustain their drug status.

“Sa atoang monitoring, there are several barangays nga naay some portion na wala masustain,” Meca told reporters on Wednesday.

She however refused to identify these barangays.

Meca said they have not received reports from these barangays whether the drug surrenderers underwent the required three-month community-based rehabilitation program.

“What happened to those who did not complete? Unsa may status nila?” said Meca.

She said there were about 10,000 drug surrenderees in the province in 2017 but only half or around 5,000 drug dependents graduated from the community-based rehabilitation program.

She added that some barangays did not even conduct drug tests as part of their monitoring nor created any sustainable programs for the drug dependents.

Moreover, Meca said, high-value targets have returned to their barangay although they have not yet notified the local chief executives or their Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Council (MADAC) or City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) to take action.

“Ato sila hatagan og seven days kon unsa ilang response or action that needs to be taken para ma address ‘tong parameters nga mibalik sa ilang drug-cleared na barangay,” said Meca.