More than 400 barangays drugfree — PDEA

TACLOBAN CITY — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has announced recently that more than 400 barangays in Eastern Visayas is drug-free. PDEA-8 Regional Director Edgar T. Jubay told Manila Bulletin that as of to date, 481 barangays and 10 municipalities were cleared of drug. This number of barangays is almost 11 percent of the total number of barangays in the region, he added. Director Jubay identified the declared drug-free municipalities in Eastern Visayas as Balangkayan, Gen. MacArthur, Maslog, Mercedes, San Julian and San Policarpo, all of Eastern Samar; Libagon, Limasawa both of Southern Leyte; Motiong and Pagsangjan both of Samar. He said that it is responsibility of the barangay anti-drug abuse council (BADAC) to monitor the illegal drug trade. He said that the agency will remove the name of a barangay or municipality if illegal drugs will return in their areas. Eastern Visayas has six provinces comprising Leyte, Southern Leyte, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Samar and Biliran. (Restituto A. Cayubit)