The Regional Oversight Committee on Dangerous Drugs has cleared 12 villages in Negros Occidental from the influence of illegal drugs.
According to a report from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-6, these drug-cleared barangays were Pantao, Basak, Damgo, Camba-og, I Poblacion, Banog-Banog, Andulauan, Buenavista, Puey, Kapitan Ramon, Zone 7, and 15-A.
These barangays are in the towns of Calatrava, Cauayan, E.B. Magalona, Hinigaran, Hinoba-an, Isabela, and Ilog, and the cities of Himamaylan, Sagay, Silay, Talisay, and Victorias, respectively.
Aside from the province, two villages in Iloilo, six in Guimaras, five in Aklan, and four in Capiz were also declared drug-cleared, bringing the total in the region to 29.
The screening and assessment of candidate barangays from the provinces of Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental were conducted in Iloilo City last Wednesday.
PDEA-6 director Edgar Apalla led the assessment with the assistance of Director Donelyn Hemedez, Major Rey Tolosa, Jr. of Police Regional Office (PRO)-6, John Richard Lapascua, senior health program officer of the Department of Health (DOH)-6; and Karen Joy Mansuelo of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-6.
In a statement, PDEA-6 said it will continue to closely collaborate with the concerned counterparts to increase the number of barangays to be cleared.
Last year, 240 of 662 villages in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City were declared drug-cleared, according to PDEA-6.
(Glazyl Masculino via The Daily Guardian (TDG), photo courtesy of TDG)