3 provinces in W. Visayas achieve 100% drug-cleared villages

ILOILO CITY: Three provinces in Western Visayas have achieved 100 percent drug-cleared barangay status in line with the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP) led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). PDEA information officer Graziella Tanaleon on Friday said all barangays of Aklan, Antique, and Guimaras were 'successfully deliberated' by the Regional Oversight Committee. 'Their barangays that were previously cleared also undergo validation and verification to ensure they maintain their status or else will be revoked,' she said. Aklan has 372 barangays, Antique has 590, and 98 in Guimaras. Tanaleon said barangay anti-drug councils of the provinces are very active in submitting their requirements, in addition to having supportive local government units. 'When we say drug-cleared, the barangay was previously affected either slightly, moderately, or seriously. They undergo deliberation by the Regional Oversight Committee for drug-cleared declaration,' she said. Drug-free, on the other hand, are those that have no reported drug activities. However, they still have to undergo deliberation for verification. Tanaleon said 3,757 of the 4,051 villages, as of their last deliberation on March 7, 2024, have been cleared of drugs, leaving 294 that have yet to hurdle the deliberation by the oversight committee. The remaining areas to be declared as drug-cleared include 31 barangays in Capiz, 14 in Iloilo province, 122 in Negros Occidental, 86 in Iloilo City, and 41 in Bacolod City. Tanaleon said they are also intensifying their interdiction efforts at airports, ports, terminals, and borders. 'We cannot deny the fact that Region 6 is considered a drug route coming from NCR (National Capital Region), Calabarzon Region going to Region 7, and even Mindanao. We have a vast coast where drugs can be smuggled, that is why operatives ensure that they are intercepted,' she said. Source: Philippines News Agency