Ormoc declared drug-free
ORMOC CITY – This city, which used to be called the drug capital of Eastern Visayas, has been declared as the first drug-free city in the region.
Cleveland Villamor, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) officer, made the announcement as he distributed certificates to the remaining 28 barangays validated to be free of illegal drugs, pushers and users.
Eighty-two barangays in the city were previously declared drug-free.
Mayor Richard Gomez stressed the need to keep the city drug-free even as he gave assurance that there would be no letup in the city government’s efforts to curb illegal drugs and other criminal ac- tivities.
“We have regained peace and order in our city…There is no way we will let criminals come back and rule our streets once more,” Gomez said.
“I know that the people voted for me as mayor because they were fed up with the drug situation here. I am happy that I have not disappointed them,” he added.
Gomez noted an increase in drug surrenderees shortly after he assumed office. He said at least 1,000 of those who surrendered admitted that they were scared of his anti-drug campaign, knowing that he is an ally of President Duterte.
In his recent state of the city address, Gomez said the crime rate here had dropped since he became mayor. He said there were only three murders and eight robberies recorded since he assumed office compared to 16 and 26, respectively, during the time of his predecessor.
Ten towns in Eastern Visayas – Balangkayan, General MacArthur, Maslog, Mercedes, San Julian and San Policarpo in Eastern Samar; Libagon and Limasawa in Southern Leyte and Motiong and Pagsangjan in Western Samar – were earlier declared free of illegal drugs.
Batanes and Romblon are so far the only provinces that PDEA has declared as drug-free.