PDEA to make list of drug hotspots' residents

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is planning to build a database of residents living in so-called “drug hotspots” in Metro Manila through “barangay clearing operations” and “saturation drives” in these areas.

PDEA eyes drawing up a list of residents in Taguig’s Maharlika Village and Barangays Culiat and Payatas in Quezon City, according to PDEA-Metro Manila Regional Office chief Carlos Gadapan.

He said a saturation drive was conducted last Friday in Barangay Sto. Tomas, Pasig City, where the infamous Mapayapa Compound shabu tiangge, raided in 2006, is located.

Gadapan said saturation drives merely seek to help authorities build a record of residents, which can be used for reference and shared with the local police and barangay officials.

He said residents of Barangay Sto. Tomas were very cooperative and voluntarily allowed PDEA agents to gather information and take photographs of them.

“It’s like building a roster. They were very cooperative. They won’t resist if you don’t offend them, you just have to explain why (it is being done),” Gadapan told The STAR.

No one was arrested or invited for questioning during last Friday’s saturation drive, which was carried out in coordination with barangay officials and Pasig’s anti-drug abuse council.

Gadapan said teams “politely and respectfully” approached different households and asked about 50 men to come out.

PDEA’s barangay clearing operation was conducted two days after police raided the house of a suspected drug dealer in the area and seized P3 million worth of shabu.

He said barangay clearing operations or saturation drives are not meant to violate anybody’s rights since the goal is to merely identify residents of an area where drug dealers are known to hide and operate.