Itogon officials monitor drug surrenderers

ITOGON, Benguet Mayor Victorio Palangdan assured support to drug surrenderers to help them revert back to society.

Palangdan said the municipality continues to monitor drug surrenderers who underwent the community based rehabilitation program to ensure the non-resurgence of drugs in Itogon and for drug surrenderers to be completely rehabilitated.

"We continue to guard these drug surrenderers for them not to go back to their old ways. We provide them with livelihood programs to keep them busy, while being closely monitored by our designated municipal and barangay drug abuse councils together with our municipal health office," Palangdan said.

In 2017, the Itogon Municipal Police Station recorded 316 drug surrenderer with 208 undergoing rehabilitation program being implemented by the local government unit and other interest groups.

Palangdan meanwhile noted involvement of some pocket miners in illegal drugs but countered most of them are not resident of the town.

"Some of the surrenderers are miners however, those coming to Itogon to work in the mines are not from here but comes from other provinces. I have asked their association to strictly monitor their members and inform us if there members may involve themselves in illegal activities particularly in the use of drugs," Palangdan stressed.

At least seven barangays in Itogon were previously identified by PDEA to be drug affected but were later on cleared.

Palangdan assured their constituents of the absence of municipal employees involved in drugs after undergoing drug testing.

"We conducted a random drug test for all of the municipal employees and are happy to say no one turned positive. This is what I continue to emphasize to our municipal officials and constituents to not let themselves be involved in illegal drugs because this may be the source of their destruction," Palangdan added.

The municipality have allotted P500,000 for livelihood projects of surrenderers graduating from the rehabilitation program.