By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-6 has achieved 86.71 percent accomplishment in its barangay drug-clearing efforts in Western Visayas in 2021.
Based on PDEA-6 records, 3,513 of the 4,051 barangays were cleared from illegal drugs.
Of the total number of villages in the region, 2,734 were drug-affected, while 1,317 were unaffected.
Iloilo province has the highest number of drug cleared areas with 1,673, followed by Antique (586), Capiz (421), Negros Occidental (310), Guimaras (94), Iloilo City (88), and Bacolod City (13).
Aklan is the only area in the region where all barangays were 100 percent drug-cleared at 327, while Antique came in second with 99.32 percent, Iloilo province (97.21 percent), Guimaras (95.91 percent), Capiz (89.21 percent), Negros Occidental (51.58 percent), Iloilo City (48.88 percent), and Bacolod City (21.31 percent).
According to PDEA-6 spokesperson Shey Tanaleon, drug-cleared villages should still apply next year to retain their status, pending the assessment and monitoring of the barangay drug clearing committee.
For Negros Occidental, 291 villages are still drug-affected, while Bacolod still has 48 drug-affected barangays.
Tanaleon said that for those barangays which failed to pass the assessment last year, they will still be allowed to apply and undergo another deliberation.
“Ang sa initial assessment, if mabal-an namon nga damo pa gid kulang, or may drug surrenderers nga wala gid kapa rehab, wala na namon gina include sa deliberation. Sa drug clearing usually abi kung indi sila kapasar subong, mga next deliberation gakapasar naman sila,” she added.
