12 MORE TO GO

WITH finally only 12 barangays (in three towns and two cities) of the originally 1,271 drug-affected barangays in the province to clear, Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPPO) remains optimistic that the whole province will be declared drug free until December from its level.

P/Chief Inspector Norman Florentino, public information officer of PPPO, said as of last week, the drug-free status of 1,259 barangays have already been submitted to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 1 for validation.

The 12 Barangays from three towns and two cities still undergoing clearing operations on the documentation are Barangay Gayaman and Poblacion in Binamaley; Barangay Olo Cacampusan in Mangatarem; Barangay Aramal and Cayanga in San Fabian; Barangay Dos-Nueva and Pugaro Suit in Dagupan City and Baliti Sur, Caingal, Coliling, Pagal and Tandoc in San Carlos City.

“Kayang kaya natin sa PPO level na ma-clear yan sa drugs,” Florentino said

PDEA Provincial Officer Dexter Asayco said, PDEA is already assisting the PNP and towns and cities in the documentation phase of the drug clearing process

Asayco said, the Regional Oversight Committee has recently approved Burgos and Alcala, while Mabini and Malasiqui and will be scheduled soon for the validation and their official declaration as drug-free municipalities.

On the official list of PPPO, Sto Tomas as drug free and never affected; Alaminos City the lone city declared as drug free city, Agno, Laoac, Dasol, San Nicolas, Mapandan, Natividad and Anda as officially declared by PDEA as drug free.

Thrity-four others are declared drug unaffected in PPPO level and subject for validation and these are Burgos, Bolinao, Mabini, Aguilar, Sison, San Quintin, Basista, Labrador, Sta. Maria, Bautista, Bugallon, Tayug, Alcala, Malasiqui, Umingan, Sual, Calasiao, San Jacinto, Lingayen, Urbiztondo, Binalonan, San Manuel, Manaoag, Bayambang, Bani, Sta. Barbara, Infanta, Urdaneta City, Pozorubio, Asingan, Rosales, Balungao, Villasis and Mangaldan. (Nora Dominguez)

 

PDEA VALIDATION

HOWEVER, PDEA Region 1 reported it has only validated 428 barangays in Pangasinan as already drug-free, (or 33% of the 1,259 barangays already declared drug-free by PPPO).

Bismarck Bengwayan, PIO and chief of PDEA Region 1 Preventive Education and Community Involvement Section, pointed out that Pangasinan’s record already represents 55% of the 780 barangays in Region 1 validated as drug free.

Pangasinan has a total of 1,364 barangays only 1,271 were drug-affected when the war on drugs was declared.

He said the delay in the validation process is mostly the documentation phase that includes establishing whereabouts and status of drug personalities listed in drug watch lists.

Bengawayan said, the PDEA’s validation also includes a certification from Anti-Drug Advisory Councils in barangay and municipal levels that the drug users and pushers that surrendered have been required to undergo rehabilitation treatment in a rehabilitation facility (for the medium-high risks) and community-based rehabilitation program (CBRP) for the low risks.

PDEA is also requiring the LGUs to provide training for livelihood to CBRP participants. (Nora Dominguez)

 

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