TEMPORARY REHAB FACILITY

LINGAYEN— The provincial government, in coordination with partner agencies, is looking at the Camp Lt. Tito B. Abat (Camp Abat) located in Manaoag town as a temporary shelter facility for the self-confessed drug users and pushers in the province who have surrendered to the authorities.

This was disclosed by Gov. Amado Espino III during the first Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) meeting held at the Urduja House last Thursday, July 28.

“We are now fast-tracking the process to find a place for the estimated 7,000 drug users and pushers who voluntarily surrendered,” he said.

Gov. Espino, PADAC chairperson, said negotiations with Camp Abat are ongoing in order to provide the self-confessed drug personalities a facility “hopefully, by next month.”

The PADAC meeting expressed surprise over the number of persons that voluntarily came forward to confess and admitted it is faced with the dilemma how to serve their needs since there is only one rehabilitation center in the province, located in Dagupan City.

The other dilemma, the governor said, is the cost involved in the counseling and medical treatment in the rehab center. “The rehab center collects P10,000, monthly fee which only few can afford,” he said.

Mr, Espino said, the priority is to find a facility and organize a manpower for the counseling and treatment of the drug users and pushers, since the construction of a rehabilitation center will take some time.

Meanwhile, the governor said the government will look further into the reported extra-judicial killings that caught innocent civilians in the process.

“We will also help the bereaved families of the innocent victims,” he said. (Johanne Macob)

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