Caohagan officials challenged: Maintain barangay’s drug-free status

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan leads the unveiling of the drug-free barangay marker in Caohagan, the first barangay in the city to be given that status. | FILE PHOTO

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Officials of Barangay Caohagan in Lapu-Lapu City are challenged to maintain the barangay’s status as a “Drug-Free Barangay.”

Caohagan, an islet barangay in Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City, was the only barangay in the city that was declared as drug-free.

On Friday, the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug-Clearing Program installed a marker for its drug-free status.

READ: Caohagan declared drug-free barangay, the first in Lapu-Lapu City

LCPO chief challenges Caohagan officials

Police Colonel Elmer Lim, city director of LCPO, said that barangay officials should maintain their status, by preventing the infestation of illegal drugs in their barangay.

He said that Caohagan has maintained its status since 2019 when it was first declared a drug-free barangay.

“So kanang pagkadrug-free nila na-maintain nila, na-sustain nila until 2023. So dili lalim ang pag-maintain ana,” Lim said.

(They should maintain their drug-free status, they should sustain it until 2023. It’s not easy to maintain that.)

READ: Dapitan of Cordova declared as drug-cleared barangay 

How to maintain status

“We have to maintain the status of drug-free nga dili makasulod ba (ang ilegal nga drugas), magbinantayon gyud kanunay atong mga BIN, Drug Advocates, mga tanod, mga konsehal, mismong si kapitan mismo. Nag-istorya mi ni kap, ato gyud ning i-maintain,” he added.

(We have to maintain the status of drug-free so that (illegal drugs) cannot enter the barangay, the BIN, drug advocates, tanods, councilors and the barangay captain should be vigilant. I have talked with cap, we should maintain this.)

Lim admitted that there might be difficulties and challenges in maintaining the status, especially since Caohagan was known as one of the tourist destinations in the city.

“Dili ta gusto nga maarian ta ug drug personalities kay maapektuhan atong status as drug-free,” he said.

(We don’t want drug personalities to visit our area because this will affect our status of being drug-free.)

Drug-cleared barangays

Lim, however, promised that they would continue to monitor the barangay so that they could maintain their status.

Aside from Caohagan, Barangays Baring, Sabang, Subabasbas, Caw-oy, Tungasan, and Tingo were also declared as drug-cleared barangays by the Regional Oversight Committee.

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