Lawyer John Eddu Ibañez, Mayor Jonas Cortes’ chief of staff
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Nine more barangays in Mandaue City are expected to be declared drug-cleared soon.
Lawyer John Eddu Ibañez, Mayor Jonas Cortes’ chief of staff and focal person of the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC), said according to the Mandaue City Police Office 13 barangays were asked to comply with the required documents.
Of this number, four were able to complete the requirements during the deliberation conducted by the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) on Monday, April 25.
The four newly declared drug-cleared barangays were Paknaan, Tabok, Casili, and Opao. The city now has eight drug-cleared barangays. The four barangays that were declared earlier were Bakilid, Tawason, Tingub, and Subangdaku.
“Makita nato nga seryoso ta sa atoang kampanya batok illegal nga drugas bisan pa nga highly urbanized city ang Mandaue nakapadrug cleared ta og 8 ka mga barangay niya mga dagko nga mga barangay,” said Ibañez.
Mayor Jonas Cortes thanked the barangay captains, councilors, CADAC and BADAC, drug warriors, and national agencies that helped the city to achieve the status.
The city’s goal is for all of its 27 barangays to be declared drug cleared and to be the first highly urbanized city in Metro Cebu to become a drug-cleared city.
The city hoped to become a drug-cleared city within the year, said Ibañez.
Ibañez said the nine barangays are currently completing the documents and are expected to be declared drug cleared in May.
City Councilor Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, CADAC focal person said based on the data of the Mandaue City Substance Abuse Prevention Office, barangays Cubacub and Basak will undergo deliberation next month.
Among the factors to be declared drug cleared are barangays should be able to account for their drug dependents. The drug surrenderers should be able to complete the four-month-long community-based drug rehabilitation program.
Ibañez hope that the eight barangays would be an inspiration to the remaining barangays to achieve a drug-cleared status.
“Sa tanang barangays sa Mandaue awhag, hangyo ni Mayor Jonas Cortes nga kung makaya sa 8 ka barangay karun nga na drug-cleared bisan pa sa kadako sa ilang population ug land area ngano’ng dili makaya sa uban. Naa ra mi sa city, CADAC focals, inyo’ng BADAC focals, you can always call to us for assistance atoang mga police, atoang PDEA we are always helpful, we are not the best CADAC in Region 7 if not for something,” said Ibañez. /rcg
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