GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Authorities have declared three more barangays in South Cotabato province as “drug-cleared,” bringing down the number of drug-affected villages in the area to just five.
Chief Insp. Marvin Duadua, police community relations chief of the South Cotabato Provincial Police Office, said Tuesday Barangays Kematu in T’boli, and Seloton and Talisay in Lake Sebu are now considered “cleared” of illegal drug users and pushers based on their assessment.
He said these villages have fully complied with checklist issued by Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) in line with the initiative.
The official specifically cited the provisions of DDB Regulation No. 3, series of 2017, or the “Strengthening the Implementation of Barangay Drug Clearing Program.”
Duadua said they are presently working with various stakeholders to facilitate the declaration as “drug-cleared” of the remaining five of the province’s 199 barangays.
These are Barangays Gen. Paulino Santos in Koronadal City, Ambalgan in Sto. Nino, Ned in Lake Sebu, and Poblacion and Kipalbig in Tampakan.
“We will recommend the declaration of these barangays as drug-cleared once they complete the requirements set by DDB,” he said.
The official said local police units have been assisting the concerned barangays in complying with the guidelines.
The South Cotabato police earlier assisted the creation of a special task force to help in the clearing of Barangay Ambalgan in Sto. Nino.
A prayer rally was staged last week by residents of the village, which is a known entry point of illegal drugs proliferating in the province.
Once the five barangays are declared as “drug-cleared,” the entire province would be eligible for the same classification.
As of Tuesday, a total of seven municipalities in the area have been declared by the police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency as cleared from illegal drugs.
These are the municipalities of Tboli, Tantangan, Norala, Tupi, Polomolok, Banga and Surallah.
Boardmember Agustin Dema-ala, action officer of the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council, urged the police to continually monitor areas that had been declared as “drug-cleared.”
“There are still possibilities that those who surrendered might go back to their usual activities. Our police should not be complacent about this,” he added. (PNA)
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