DavOc to launch another drug test

DAVAO OCCIDENTAL–Governor Claude Bautista has tapped the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in conducting random drug testing to all village officials in the province which started last week.

Bautista said this is to ensure that the campaign against prohibited drugs in Davao Occidental will achieve positive results.

The governor, together with PDEA personnel, also organized the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Badac) under the auspices of his flagship program dubbed ‘Auding Plan’ (Aksyon Undang Droga, Igsoong Nagtinabangay sa Gugma) in Barangay San Agustin, Sta. Maria.

He said the main objective of Auding Plan is to provide assistance for any individual who is willing to give up addiction to prohibited drugs.

The program includes medication and even rehabilitation for those who will be identified as dependents after the process of profiling existing surrenderers.

“We have to ascertain that barangay officials manning the Badac are drug free since they are the frontliners in our quest to end illegal drug trade as well as its use in the community,” Bautista said.

The Davao Occidental officials expressed optimism that close coordination with the PDEA and constant monitoring on the status of Badac in more than a hundred villages would lead to a successful campaign against the use of illegal drugs that gradually destroys the senses of the youth sector and adults as well.

“It’s not yet too late for drug dependents to quit. We are very much willing to provide immediate assistance so that they could recover from addiction and live a happy life with their respective families in the near future” Bautista said.

On the launching of Auding Plan, Bautista vowed to construct a rehabilitation center in Davao Occidental in the soonest possible time to cater drug victims who badly needed constant medication and supervision of experts in this case. Orlando B. Dinoy