Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., the director-general of the Philippine National Police, oversaw the presentation of plaques to the local government units (LGUs) of Malalag in Davao del Sur, Malita, and Sta. Boston in Davao Oriental, Mawab in Davao de Oro, Talaingod and San Isidro in Davao del Norte, and Maria in Davao Occidental.
Azurin commended the LGUs for their efforts in “waging war against drugs,” noting that the collaboration between the government agencies made it possible.
“I hope the concerned agencies will continue helping each other along with the local chief executives in order to clear all the barangays in Region 11 totally,” he said.
To sustain the drug-cleared status, Azurin said a regular dialogue among the barangays and visibility of the police personnel are essential.
“In our quest to clear the different barangays, we need to understand, we need to conduct a social investigation into why there are drug peddlers, and why there are drug pushers so that the government will provide the necessary intervention whether from the LGU or from the national government,” he said.
The seven LGUs in Davao Region were the first to be drug-free, according to Aileen Lovitos, regional director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Davao Region (PDEA-11) and chairperson of ROCBDC.
Before an LGU can claim to be free of illegal drugs, according to Lovitos, all of its barangays must be devoid of drug supply, drug transit, drug shipment activity, labs, chemical warehouses, marijuana cultivation sites, drug den resorts, drug pushers, users, and protectors.
A town, she added, also needed to be active in anti-drug initiatives and have a "Balay Silangan," a facility for drug offenders undergoing rehabilitation.
Around 1,162 barangays in the Davao Region were assessed for drug clearing and 894 of which were cleared, she said.
“We’re aiming to clear all barangays in Region 11, but there are a lot of factors why some of the barangays are not yet ready. But we are already there and all the local government units are in collaboration to look into these barangays,” Lovitos said. (PNA)
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