',/* XQGHUVFRUHV UHVROXWH H൵RUWV WR FRPEDW FULPLQDOLW\ LQVXUJHQF\

CAGAYANDE ORO CITY The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said it remains relentless towards combating illegal drugs, insurgency, and various forms of criminality. “To meet the ever-evolving challenges faced by our nation and to fortify our mettle and grit as we contribute to nation-building, we initiated various efforts to fully realize the government’s longterm vision of a “Matatag, Maginhawa, at Panatag na Buhay for every Filipino,” said DILG Benhur Abalos.

“Similarly, we continued to align our actions to achieve the President’s eight-point socioeconomic agenda as embedded in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and amplified in the Administration’s ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ brand of governance,”he added. Abalos said one of the key programs of the agency is the ‘Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Iwasan (BIDA) Program’, which stresses the government and private sector’s shared responsibility in eradicating illegal drugs.

The agency has partnered with companies to encourage the imposition of stricter measures and the conduct of random drug testing, and those agencies aligning with BIDA’S vision will receive a BIDA-DRUG Free Workplace Seal. Additionally, the agency has formed partnerships with major sports leagues and celebrities to feature public service announcements on combating drug abuse.

According to Abalos, following the lifting of restrictions due to the pandemic, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported an improvement in the crime-related statistics, with a 0.14 percent drop in overall crime incidences and a 1.38 percent rise in Crime Solution Efficiency from January to December this year compared to the same period in 2022. The volume of both index and non-index crimes decreased from January to November 2023, compared to the same period of the previous year.

According to the report, the country’s index and non-index crime volume decreased by 8.44 percent and 7.32 percent, respectively. Improvements are also noted in seven

SJ XLI IMKLX JSGYW Mrdex crimes. Abalos said the DILG also continued to implement the‘communicating for Perpetual End for Extreme Violence and Forming Alliance Towards Positive Peace and Enriched Communitie Program’ to support the peace-building efforts of local government units under the Campaign to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

As of the end of November 2023, a total of 1,119 former rebels were granted financial assistance amounting to P91.4 million through the Dilg-administered Package of Assistance under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program. He said the DILG continued its commitment to fight violent extremism through the ‘Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (Pcve)program’. It has undertaken PCVE and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear awareness and readiness training to confront security concerns presented by terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction.

Punong Barangays, Barangay Councilors for

Peace and Order, and Chief Tanods from 1,967 of the 2,000 targeted barangays nationwide have been trained on the government’s comprehensive, harmonized, and synchronized national strategy to prevent and counter violent extremism (NAP P/ CVE). Likewise, the Emergency 911 Hotline continues to offer a command structure for national and local emergency service providers’ responsibility and accessibility.

As of the end of November 2023, the National Call Center has received a total of 21,011,391 calls, 26,833 of which were classified as emergency calls, according to Abalos. In support of the Marcos Administration’s call to combat illicit drug trade and its commitment to the holistic rehabilitation of persons deprived of liberty, the DILG said that the it has boosted its Greyhound Operations, which were carried out in collaboration with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies. Abalos said more than 268,000 greyhound operations were conducted from January to October 2023. Among the confiscated contraband were shabu, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, cigarettes, firearms, liquors and cash.

With the Jail Bureau’s unwavering efforts to combat illicit drugs, the Regional Oversight Committee in Declaring Drug-free and Drug-cleared BJMP Jails, composed of the PDEA and the BJMP, certified 305 out of 433, or 70 percent of the occupied jails as drug-free and drug-cleared. (Mindanaoexaminer)