PGLU Commends Drug Unaffected And Cleared Towns

By: Jiroh Joy Marbella, GPC-SP  |  Date: April 27, 2018

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In support to President Rodrigo Duterte’s fight against illegal drugs, the Provincial Government of La Union headed by Governor Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” R. Ortega III through the Sangguniang Panlalawigan led by Vice-Governor Aureo Augusto Q. Nisce and the SP members has approved Resolution no. 368-2017 for Bagulin for being declared as a drug unaffected municipality and Resolutions Nos. 143-2017, 159-2018 and 160-2018 for Burgos, Rosario and Balaoan, respectively, for being acknowledged as drug cleared municipalities by the Anti-Illegal Drugs Regional Oversight Committee (ROC).

The Municipality of Bagulin is one of the few municipalities in the Region to be declared as drug unaffected wherein no traces of illegal drug activity is present in the said town as verified by the ROC. In a letter received by the SP, Director Bryan Babang of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office 1 (PDEA RO1) confirmed that the towns of Burgos, Rosario and Balaoan were declared drug cleared by the said committee. The municipalities of Sudipen, Bauang and Caba meanwhile are on validation process and are on deck to be declared as drug cleared as well, making a total of 7 towns from the province to be included in the 49 total drug cleared municipalities in Region 1.

The Anti-illegal Drugs Regional Oversight Committee is a multi-sectoral committee composed of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Regional Office (PDEA RO), Department of the Interior and Local Government Regional Office (DILG RO), Philippine National Police Regional Command Office (PNP RCO), Department of Health Regional Office and LGUs represented by the Local Chief Executives.

To be declared as drug cleared, all barangays of a municipality must pass the following requirements: a. Non-availability of drug supply; b. Absence of drug transit/transshipment activity; c. Absence of clandestine drug laboratory; d. Absence of clandestine drug warehouse; e. Absence of clandestine chemical warehouse; f. Absence of marijuana cultivation site; g. Absence of drug den, dive or resort; h. Absence of drug pushers; i. Absence of drug users/dependents; j. Absence of protector/ coddler and financier and active involvement of barangay officials in anti-drug activities.

 

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