Nearly 1 in 20 barangays affected by drugs - PDEA

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) bared on Friday that out of 42,025 barangays in the country, 18 percent are considered drug-affected.

PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac  Jr.said that percentage represents a total of 7,372 barangays afflicted by the drug problem.

The consolidated data resulted from validation of gathered information of PDEA and partner drug law enforcement agencies.

“A barangay is said to be drug-affected when there is a determined existence of drug user, pusher, manufacturer, marijuana cultivator or other drug personality regardless of number in the area,” Cacdac said.

There are three basic parameters in determining barangay drug-affectation: slightly affected, moderately affected, and seriously affected.

Barangays are considered slightly affected if there are identified drug users in the community but no known drug pushers or traffickers are operating in the area; moderately affected if at least one suspected drug pusher or trafficker is operating in the barangay; and seriously affected if at least one drug laboratory, den, dive or resort is suspected to exist in the community.

Cacdac said that 30.7 percent of the total barangays throughout the country are classified as slightly affected, 61.6 percent are moderately affected, while the remaining 7.7 percent are seriously affected