The Philippine National Police provincial office said they hope to declare its host barangay, where the provincial PNP command is located, as drug-free by the end of the year.
Deputy provincial commander for operations Supt. Carlos Lacuesta disclosed during a Kapihan forum initiated by the Philippine Information Agency on Wednesday that Barangay Agan-an in Sibulan town, where Camp Francisco Fernandez is situated, will be piloted as a drug-free barangay based on the parameters set by the Dangerous Drugs Board.
These parameters would include the non-availability of the drug supply, absence of drug transshipment activity, absence of drug laboratory, absence of chemical warehouse, absence of marijuana cultivation sites, absence of drug dens and all sorts, absence of drug pushers, users, dependents, protectors, coddlers and financiers plus the active involvement of barangay officials in anti-drugs activities, among others.
According to Lacuesta, Negros Oriental Provincial Police provincial commander Sr. Supt. Henry Biñas has tasked all the chiefs of police in the province to work hard in declaring 50 percent of their barangays in their areas as drug-free.
Failure to do so would mean administrative sanctions, including relief from their present positions.
Under the initiative of the provincial director, surrenderees in Barangay Agan-an have been notified, including the barangay officials about the desire for a drug-free barangay.
Among the activities conducted by headquarters personnel headed by Sr. Supt. Biñas and the surrenderees was the coastal clean up on Nov. 6 along the coastal area of Agan-an, a feeding program among children as well as a dance fitness activity for the surrenderees as part of the rehabilitation and detoxification of illegal drugs in their system.
Chiefs of police are directed to double their efforts to show to the public the police mean business in really declaring most barangays in the province as drug free.
For his part, Dumaguete City police chief Supt. Jovito Atanacio said he is targeting at least seven poblacion barangays and eight other rural barangays that are slightly affected by illegal drugs, as drug-free percentage wise with less than two to twenty percent affectation.
Atanacio said the police is working on this, inspite of too many activities in connection with the 68th charter anniversary of Dumaguete City this month.
Latest figures show that a total of 12,633 individuals have surrendered from July to November 14 this year.
Of the number, 11,711 of are users and 214 pushers.
Dumaguete City is on top with 77 persons arrested with three killed during a legitimate police operation, followed by Tanjay City with 28 persons arrested and one killed, Bais City police with 19 persons arrested, Bayawan City with 18 persons arrested and three killed, Guihulngan City with 17 persons arrested and one killed, Sibulan with ten, and the rest of the police stations with less than ten arrests, or a total of 256 persons arrested and eight were killed, according to the report of Supt. Lacuesta. (PNA)