By Jennifer P. Rendon
As of May 31, the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing Program (ROC-BDC) reported that 92.99 percent of barangays in Western Visayas are drug-cleared.
Out of 4,051 barangays in the region, only 284 villages remain to be cleared.
Despite this progress, arrests of drug personalities continue, with a notable increase in the volume of illegal drugs confiscated over the past year.
Given these statistics, the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6, in collaboration with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), is evaluating the effectiveness of current drug-clearing strategies.
“Some drug-cleared barangays are reverting back. So, a high percentage of drug-cleared barangays does not necessarily mean a reduction in drug prevalence,” said Brigadier General Jack Wanky, Western Visayas police chief.
He emphasized the need to reassess and possibly reclassify these barangays as affected.
On March 31, PDEA-6 led the 52nd ROC-BDC deliberation, where 140 barangays were favorably approved. Of these, 10 were newly declared as drug-cleared, while 130 retained their drug-cleared status.
Currently, all barangays in the provinces of Aklan, Antique, and Guimaras have been cleared.
Aklan has 372 barangays, Antique has 590, and Guimaras has 98.
In Iloilo province, 99.48 percent of the 1,721 barangays are cleared, while Capiz has 93.45 percent of its 473 barangays cleared.
In Negros Occidental, 80.37 percent of 601 barangays are cleared, 50.78 percent of Iloilo City’s 180 barangays are cleared, and 32.79 percent of Bacolod City’s 61 barangays are cleared.
The remaining areas to be declared drug-cleared include 31 barangays in Capiz, 9 in Iloilo province, 118 in Negros Occidental, 85 in Iloilo City, and 41 in Bacolod City.
