Tokhang teams undergo orientation

BONTOC, Mountain Province- The Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (ADACs), Philippine National Police (PNP) and Tokhang teams brace themselves with the challenges in the maintenance of the province drug-free.

Coming together for an orientation on March 8 at the Multi-Purpose Hall, they were equipped on their roles and responsibilities to intensify the drug prevention campaign in the locality.

“To maintain the status of the province as drugfree is a difficult task,” remarked Atty. Joseph Frederick Calulut of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and underscored there is a need to activate the functions of the barangay, municipal and provincial ADACs, PNP and tokhang teams to work in unison.

Calulut emphasized the essence of a synchronized working relationship to which he pointed out is essential in securing the communities away from illegal drugs. This is in accordance with the Dangerous Drugs Board (DBB) Regulation No.2, series of 2007 that defines the specific roles of concerned government agencies including the strengthening

of the barangay drugclearing program.

The PDEA official highlighted the role of the barangay as the frontline defense in the drug prevention campaigns. With this, he shared that the operations in the drug-clearing needs proper application through the trained BADACs and their auxiliary teams to watch their communities.

Meanwhile Superintendent Lauro Escobar of the Mountain Province Provincial Police Office said there is a need to refine their campaign on illegal drugs.

During the meeting, participants were encouraged to host activities for the enhancement of the campaign in their own places aside from the said program. Yet, with the problems that may hinder the mobility of the ADACs, Escobar mentioned the essence of partnership to concerned entities for support. “This is primarily meant for the barangays that usually do not have sufficient budget and manpower to host drug prevention campaigns on their own,” he cited.

Escobar added law enforcers and the citizenry have to work harmoniously. “Because if not, it is possible that our province could go back to being a drug-affected province,” he cautioned.

“We have 518 surrenderers in the province yet, we stopped from there. Di natin masyadong natinitignan kung paano sila irerehab,” Escobar stated, emphasizing that treatment seemed disregarded.

He stressed drug victims must also help themselves recover through enrolling to accessible rehabilitation programs. Rose Dagupen