Local officials must work harder to clear their barangays of illegal drugs:PDEA

September 25, 2020

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Friday said with 33 percent of barangays still not cleared from illegal drugs, local government units (LGU) in these areas must work harder to eliminate the menace.

In a press conference, PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva said most affected barangays are in big cities where money can easily be earned.

“It is still Luzon-based… few in Mindanao but still a lot of affected barangays in Luzon and Visayas,” Villanueva said.

Based on PDEA data, out of the 42, 045 barangays nationwide, they were able to clear 20, 165 barangays from illegal drugs from July 2016 to August 31, 2020.

There are still 14,171 remaining barangays that needs to be cleared of illegal drugs.

Government data showed that since July 2016, law enforcement agencies have conducted 176, 777 anti-illegal drug operations where 5, 856 persons died from operations while 256, 788 were arrested.

The PDEA chief said since the start of the Duterte administration, they have been doing barangay clearing programs.

Now that PDEA finished visiting homes, it will identify target personalities and conduct intervention programs for them.

To fully make these barangays cleared from illegal drugs before President Rodrigo Duterte steps down by 2022, Villanueva said local governments must intensify their campaign.

“We still have local governments that have to  intensify the conduct of their barangay drug clearing program,” he said.

Villanueva said the PDEA will conduct “Oplan Tokhang” against those LGUs that have yet to implement barangay drug clearing program and rehabilitation.

“Right after COVID-19 we will start our tokhang… They should have BADAC (Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council), if they don’t have one in their barangay then we will also tokhang the barangay captain,” he said.

Villanueva said the word “tokhang” came from “toktok” and “hangyo” which means to knock and plead. It was created for house visitation and barangay intervention programs when Duterte was  the mayor of Davao City.

The PDEA chief noted that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has slowed down their drug-clearing operations in barangays.

" The local government became busy with COVID-19 (response) that’s why our rehabilitation program was stymied,” Villanueva said.

“But it will not stop us from clearing barangays (of drugs)… this is a whole nation approach,” he added.

For its part, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said the COVID-19 threat will not hamper or deter them from cooperating and coordinating with the barangays.

“ This will not hamper or deter us from cooperating and coordinating with the barangays. Barangayan has been a strategy even long before and we have cops on the block at the same time barangay patrols and this we will continue,” said PNP chief General Camilo Cascolan said.

“I hope that we would be able to enhance our rapport with the community and be able to stop all illegal activities in our country,” he added. Ella Dionisio/DMS