41% of Pampanga villages ‘drug-cleared’

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO - In line with the intensive war against illegal drugs, some 171 villages from this province were cleared from the proliferation of illegal drugs by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

The drug-cleared barangays represents some 41 percent of the total 414 drug-infested villages in the 19 municipalities and two components cities in the province as of November 30.

The 171 villages were cleared from the proliferation of illegal drugs after barangay officials succesfully complied with the IMPLAN 12-2016 otherwise known as the PNP Illegal Drugs Campaign Plan Project Double-Barrel.

More than 80 percent of the total 10,770 users and 522 pushers who voluntarily surrendered to the authorities have disengaged in their illegal activities are undergoing reformation program under 30 Bahay Pagbabago around the province.

However, there are still 200 villages in the province which are subjected to comply with the said requirements and cleanse their communities before the year-end deadline of President Rodrigo Duterte and the Philippine National Police.

Earlier, PNP Region III Director Chief Superintendent Aaron Aquino directed Pampanga PNP Director Senior Superintendent Joel Consulta and police chiefs from all cities and municipalities to abide by the initial deadline set by President Duterte in eradicating drug menace in the country six months after he assumed the presidency.

The PNP’s intensive campaign against illegal drugs, a priority program of President Duterte, commenced on July 1 through Oplan Tokhang and Oplan Double Barrel and is supposed to end by December 31 of this year.

Aquino said that cities and municipalities with low performance will become subjects for investigation to see if there is a coddling happening between local officials or police force and drug suspects.””