Benguet bats to be drug free

GOVERNOR Cresencio Pacalso said the province will seek aid of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to become drug cleared.

“We are going to ask the PDEA to go for drug free municipalities already, not really drug free but drug cleared, because we have drug free barangays so what we need to do now is to go into drug cleared barangays then from their going to the drug cleared municipality then as time goes on we would like to be elevated to a drug free province.”

Pacalso said the province does not have additional drug surrenderers although; some were caught anew after being included in the drugs list.

Pacalso said the problems will arise from President Rodrigo

From 1 Duterte recent withdrawal of the PNP in the implementation of the Oplan Double Barrel and Oplan Tokhang.

“We do not know how we can, I hope our religious groups can convince them to, maybe they (drug users) are more afraid of the PNP,” Pacalso added.

Last year the province eyed a drug rehabilitation facility for users following all out war against drugs.

Pacalso said “Everybody was already thinking we need it, but in the final analysis we found out that it’s the need for the province of Benguet we do not have as much number of victims or people who needs rehabilitation so it would suffice and it would be enough that there are nearby rehabilitation centers in Dagupan where they would be able to bring this people.”

The province opted for the support of community based rehabilitation in the municipalities.

“For drug rehabilitation they were saying the minimum number should be at least 500, we do not have that number,” Pacalso added.

In the Cordillera region the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Police Regional Office-Cordillera recently declared drug free for the provinces of Apayao, Ifugao, and Mountain Province.