Sto. Tomas drug- free for 3 decades

By Bebot Villar

 

I WOULD like to clarify an item in last week’s editorial of The PUNCH that read “no other town except Sto. Tomas, can claim that it is now drug-free since Guv Spines declared war contra illegal drugs last year.”

Lest it gives readers the impression that my town only became drug-free when Guv Espino launched his campaign vs. illegal drugs last year, nothing can be farther from the truth. The fact is, Sto. Tomas has been drug-free since I became the town’s mayor, through my wife’s term as town mayor and up to this time.

Inalagaan namin ang Sto. Tomas especially from illegal drugs dahil alam namin kung gaano kahirap ang magkaroon ng ka-pamilyang addict. Thankful tayo because cooperative ang ating mga law enforcers ever since, always one with us in fighting illegal drugs.

It was not and is not easy to make a town drug-free. We worked hard to keep Sto. Tomas a drug-free community and hopefully ay ipagpatuloy pa ng mga susunod na magiging lider ng aming bayan.

To keep one’s constituents healthy and free from illegal drugs is a good legacy that a leader can have. Wala pong katapat na halaga ng pera ang maaaring itumbas kung mapananatiling malinis sa droga ang isang bayan.

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Here’s an encouraging update from Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 1.

The PNP did 79 buy-bust operations in the region, and the stats for the months of April & May 2015 show na more pushers were arrested than users. It means our communities are getting safer, and there will be no victim-users.

In Pangasinan, many police stations are now more pro-active in the campaign and I know mas marami pang magagawa with the help of our communities, particularly thru our Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (BADACs).

BADACs will serve as the campaign’s eyes and ears at the barangay level. Sila ang magiging baseline ng mga gagawing anti-drug activities in the barangay because it is they who know everything that’s happening sa barangay. They know kung sino-sino ang mga residents o dayo lamang.

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Kaya lang, since the re-organizational meeting of the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) last year, I have not received any update about BADACs activities. How many have been reactivated and functioning? And which LGUs have fully supported the campaign? Naumpisahan na ba?

The DILG has been reiterating that LGUs ay nararapat na mag-share ng pondo para sa anti-drug campaign. This was one of the items stressed during the PADAC re-organizational meeting, and the Espino administration directed all LGUs to comply. Ano na po ba ang latest tungkol dito? Meron na po ba?

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Here is another encouraging development. The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) through Commissioner Kim Henares recently launched its in-house program “Drug Abuse in the Workplace program.”

Initially, BIR started with random drug testing in its regional offices and is about to embark on awareness seminars among its rank and file. This initiative of Com. Henares is very laudable.

Soon all the regional offices will be more aware and educated on the drug situation in the country. In Pangasinan, BIR Calasiao was among the first to organize a seminar in Baguio City.

Galing talaga ni Comm. Henares!

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