SEVENTY villages in Cagayan de Oro City, said to be drug-affected, will be subjected to the drug clearing operations, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Northern Mindanao.
According to the data of PDEA, 70 villages or 85.5 percent of the total 80 barangays in the city are affected and only 10 villages are unaffected by illegal drug activities.
From the 70 villages, 29 or 36.25 percent are moderately affected and 41 villages or 51.25 percent are slightly affected.
“Wala tay seriously affected nga mga barangay (We don’t have seriously-affected barangays),” PDEA agent Ben Calibre said.
Calibre said PDEA is stepping up efforts to clear the drug-affected villages, which they can be declared as “cleared” after certain interventions.
The anti-narcotics agency is taking the two-way approach in cutting off the demand and supply of illegal drugs.
“Kung ma-cut ang demand either way, ma-cut sad ang supply. Katong mga drug users nagpa-rehab na and madakpan ang pushers sa area, mao ni atong duha ka approach sa program (Cutting demand also cuts the supply. Drug users were already in rehabilitation and we’re going after drug pushers in the area, these are our program’s two approaches),” Calibre said.
The PDEA agent said the present village drug clearing program of PDEA is focused on the demand and supply reduction through preventive education.
He urged all village officials to cooperate with the anti-narcotics agency’s aim of making the entire region free from illegal drugs.
Calibre said they will coordinate with the police in conducting joint barangay drug clearing operation.
“Padayon ang identification sa target ug ang among pag visit sa mga barangay (The identification of targets and visitation of barangays are ongoing),” Calibre said.
