Only Sto. Tomas’ 10 barangays are drug-free
OUT OF 1,364 BARANGAYS
LINGAYEN—Three weeks ago, the Pangasinan Police initially determined that 1,074 or 78.74% of the total 1,364 barangays (villages) in the province were drug-affected. But as the validation and monitoring process continued, it saw that the situation actually is worse than it had figured.
Today, the police confirmed only 10 out of the 1,364 barangays in Pangasinan are actually drug-free and there are still 280 barangays are listed as ‘unclassified’ barangays.
P/Sr. Superintendent Ronald Oliver Lee, acting police director, told the provincial board members Monday during a Question Hour on the peace and order situation in Pangasinan, that the drug-free barangays are all located in Sto. Tomas town.
This means, he said, that there is not a single drug user or pusher in the town.
He clarified that the 280 barangays are listed as ‘unclassified’ barangays because their respective Barangay Anti Drug Abuse Councils (BADAC) still have not convened to determine affectation. He said reports of BADACs are part of the process for determining status of a barangays.
Without the towns’ BADAC confirmation, their barangays could not be declared as drug-free, Lee said.
To date, the police said 10,000 drug personalities have surrendered to the police since July 1 and 1,074 are confirmed to be drug pushers.
Sto. Tomas is the smallest town in Pangasinan with only 10 barangays, namely La Luna, Poblacion East, Poblacion West, Salvacion, San Agustin, San Antonio, San Jose, San Marcos, Santo Domingo and Santo Niño.
Sto. Tomas Mayor Timoteo “Dick” Villar III, in an earlier interview, already affirmed that his town prides itself for such distinction as drug-free town for already more than 40 years.
He said the town’s officialdom, since his uncle, former Secretary Antonio Villar Jr, of the Dangerous Drugs Board became mayor for more than 20 years, followed by Mayor Vivien Villar, the secretary’s wife, had made it certain that no drug pusher could settle in the town, making the town the lone drug-free town in Pangasinan for four decades.
“We sustain it with our continued and intensified barangay and school-based massive information campaign on anti-illegal drugs to totally eradicate it (illegal drugs),” the mayor said. (Tita Roces)
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
