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CEBU CITY, Philippines — A total of 1, 558 barangays in Central Visayas remain drug affected.
Police Brigadier General Roderick Augustus Alba, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), confirmed this in a press conference on Monday, November 7, 2022, adding that 49 of these barangays in the entire region are seriously drug-affected.
Furthermore, he said 675 barangays were slightly affected and 834 were moderately affected.
To date, Alba said that of the 3, 003 barangays in Central Visayas, a total of 1, 329 were declared as drug cleared and 116 were drug-free. Also, at least five municipalities, which includes Enrique Villanueva in Siquijor, Poro and San Francisco in Camotes Island, Madridejos, and Santander, are already considered as drug-cleared.
This November 22 and 23, the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing chaired by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7), together with other concerned agencies, will have a deliberation to check on 61 barangays that applied for drug clearing.
Alba again expressed the crucial role of community engagement in the effectiveness of their campaign against illegal drugs. With their recent drug hauls, wherein they confiscated around 7.8 kilos of suspected shabu worth P53.5 million from October 30 to November 6, Alba said that this also contributed to the decrease in the demand.
Like a domino effect, Alba said that once they interfere with the delivery of drugs on the streets through their operations, they also prohibit the prospective consumers to use it. Alba also directed his personnel should their areas of jurisdiction have minor problems in illegal drug proliferation, they, instead, focus on clearing their respective barangays.
“The problem on illegal drugs in my perspective is more on law of economics. If there were no patronizers, no supply,” Alba said.
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