Iloilo City barangays pursue drug-free status

ILOILO CITY – The city’s 180 barangays are working to beat the July 11 deadline to be evaluated and declared as drug-free. Iloilo City Liga ng mga Barangay (LNB) president, Reyland Hervias said a barangay cannot earn the title as drug-free even if it has only one drug user left.

Hervias said drug surrenderers in every barangay have to be subjected to a drug test. Funds for the test will be taken from their barangay anti-drug abuse council budget.

He said that even the four barangays that have not been affected must also comply with the requirements. These are barangays Sampaguita, Ed Ganzon, Malipayon and Roxas Village.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has provided the barangays with a checklist of requirements.

Hervias stressed that officials of barangays that will not be declared as drug-free, would be assumed as “drug protectors.”

“If we cannot do it, we can always ask assistance from the PNP (Philippine National Police),” he added.

Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said a lot of effort have been made to address the drug problem. What is lacking is the documentation, which the barangays are doing, he said.

He explained that barangays have until the end of the month to submit their documents to the AdHoc committee chaired by the PDEA, with the city mayor and heads of the city health office, city social welfare and development office, and the Iloilo City Police.

“By July 11, we will announce what barangays have complied and can be declared as drug-free,” Mabilog said. (PNA)