To encourage police operations: No more barangays to be declared "drug-free"

Cebu City Councilor Augustus Pe Jr., chairman of the council committee on peace and order, has already announced that there will be no more barangays in the city to be declared as drug-free this year.

Pe, vice chairman of the City Anti-Drugs Abuse Council (CADAC), also believes that some barangays that have been declared as drug-free are not really free from drugs.

In fact the committee is against calling a barangay drug-free so that the police and authorities will continue to conduct drug operations in that barangay.

“Ah, lisud kaayo katoohan uy. Pabor ko nga wala na la’y barangay nga ideklarar nga drug-free,” said councilor Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem, a member of the Committee on Peace and Order.

Barangays with rampant drug pushing and drug use are labeled Category 1 barangays, those with a high presence of drug pushers are called Category 2. Category 3 barangay have less drug users and drug pushers.

Police records show that barangays Kamagayan, Mambaling, Lorega, T. Padilla, Camputhaw, Ermita, Suba, Abuno Pasil, Sawang Calero, Calamba and Duljo-Fatima are the most drug-influenced barangays in the city.

Jakosalem and Pe believe that by not declaring any drug-free barangays in the city the police and barangay officials will continue to fight to stop the drug menace in their respective territorial jurisdictions.

“Bitaw, kon ang usa ka barangay madeklarar na nga drug-free, hayan mohunong na ang kapolisan paghimo og operation sa maong mga barangay,” Jakosalem said.

The police earlier expressed worry that the juvenile justice system that prevents the filing of charges against minor offenders will only encourage the drug traffickers to use children as drug couriers.

However, it was proven that there is less shabu in the streets now compared to previous years. A deck of shabu is now worth P300 to P400 from just P100. — Rene U. Borromeo/BRP   (THE FREEMAN)