MBTF orders intensive drug-clearing in 2023
TARGET: 27 DRUG-AFFECTED BARANGAYS
NOTING that only four barangays of Dagupan are drug-cleared by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Mayor Belen Fernandez ordered the local police and the barangay captains to work harder to restore 27 drug-affected barangay to their drug-cleared status before the end of 2003.
Fernandez issued the order in a meeting with P/Lt. Colonel Vicente Castor Jr., Dagupan police chief, and City Health Officer Dr. Ophelia Rivera shortly after the three attended the final validation of Barangay Pogo Grande headed by Barangay Captain Arnold Galvan as the only fourth drug-cleared barangays in Dagupan last December 20 at Camp Diego Silang in San Fernando City, La Union.
The other three drug-cleared barangays of Dagupan are Mamalingling, Barangay IV and Tebeng.
The drug-clearing of these four barangays, Fernandez, said was based on the their accomplishments in 2018 which clearly showed that the past administration did nothing to sustain the anti-drugs campaign in the city.
Fernandez directed Castor to submit a police drug-clearing plan for 2023, that should be supported by all the 27 barangay captains of drug-affected barangays.
She said she wants the Dagupan police to focus strongly on demand and supply reduction to deny the drug pushers and drug dependents living in Dagupan their supply of illegal drugs.
The drug -clearing, according to Fernandez, must be done phase by phase, targeting an initial five barangays during the first phase, three or four barangays in the second phase, three or four barangays in the third phase, so on and so forth, till all the remaining drug-affected barangays are cleared hopefully by the end of 2023.
She said she is restoring the group that previously conducted community-based rehabilitation program in the four drug-cleared barangays, among them members of the religious groups.
Fernandez already agreed earlier to put up the city’s own Balay Silangan on the recommendation of PDEA that will accommodate rehabilitated drug dependents.
She said she already found a vacant building and immediately ordered its rehabilitation to become the city’s Balay Silangan for PDEA’s inspection. (Leonardo Micua)
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