PDEA ‘wrong’

Village chief says Brgy 23 no longer ‘seriously affected’ by drugs

A village chief in Cagayan de Oro City on Friday, April 27, criticized the Philippine Drug Enforcement AgencyNorthern Mindanao (PDEA10) for unfairly tagging his barangay as among those seriously affected by the proliferation of illegal drugs.

Barangay 23 chairman Jaime Frias II said he was surprised to learn that his barangay, along with barangays Carmen, Bonbon, Bugo and Lumbia, is among five villages seriously affected by the illegal drugs problem.

Frias said he found the assertions of the anti-narcotics agency difficult to believe as he has been actively taking part in anti-illegal drug operations of the police.

Frias, however, admitted that barangay 23 may be affected by the problem on illegal drugs but said this is not as serious as claimed by PDEA-10.

“I cannot deny that the barangay was infested with drugs but being in the top 5 of seriously affected barangays, I cannot accept it,”Frias said.

Frias said anti-narcotics agents and police operatives have been conducting anti-drugs operations even without the usual ‘Tokhang’.

Frias cited an operation in the barangay last 2015 in which authorities were able to confiscate P1.5 million worth of illegal drugs and more than 20 drug personalities were arrested by the PDEA-10 operatives.

“Kabalo ang PDEA nga gusto nako dakop diretso wala nay Tokhang. Katong 2015 katulo ko nibalik sa ilang opisina para mag-conduct og operasyon sa barangay (PDEA knows that I want swift arrests even without going through Tokhang. I even went to the PDEA office thrice to ask them to conduct anti-drug operations),”Frias said.

Frias said the Barangay Anti-illegal Drug Abuse Council (Badac) has been complying with the requirements so the barangay would be declared drug-cleared.

He said the police even declared the barangay cleared from illegal drug menace last year.

“Nag comply mi sa mga rekisitos. Wala man mi rehab facility pero among gipasa sa laing barangay ug sa police pero gasuporta mi sama sa pagkaon (We try to comply with the requirements. We have no rehab facility but we refer those who want to seek treatment to other barangays and to the police. We provide support by giving other resources such as food),”Frias said.

PDEA-10 agent Ben Calibre said the existence of drug den and presence of drug pushers and users in the barangay are one of the factors that would categorize villages as seriously affected.

Frias has denied that his village has many drug dens.

Calibre said the Badac of Barangay 23 may have failed to meet some provisions of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) regulations like the barnagay drug clearing program.

Calibre said the Badac has not submitted reports that would indicate the neutralization of pushers and drug dens. He said the PDEA-10 has also not received feedback from the village anti-illegal drugs body regarding the rehabilitation of drug suspects.

Calibre said the Badac should coordinate with the interior department of the city to be guided with the regulations of the national anti-drugs campaign.