PDEA-6: No barangay in Reg. 6 complies with anti-illegal drug drive order

ILOILO CITY, Philippines - Under the law, local government executives are obligated to allocate a substantial portion of their annual budgets to help in their respective anti-drug campaign.

Memorandum Circular No. 2009-09 issued by the DILG also required LGUs to come up with their plans of actions to combat the illegal drug problems in their respective area.

A copy of such plans of actions should be furnished to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency but, the agency’s legal officer, Ronnie Delicana, said his office got no such documents from any barangay all over Western Visayas.

“So, we presume that no barangay has complied with such requirement,” Delicana said, adding that if local officials fail to allocate a portion of their budgets for anti-illegal drugs campaign, then they could be administratively charged for gross negligence or dereliction of duty as may be warranted by evidence.

Their inaction could be considered as prima facie evidence for the filing of administrative charges, said Delicana.

Delicana said that, in the next three months, PDEA-6 now headed by director Yogi Filemon Ruiz would act to impose compliance with the order by all barangays in the region.

The law mandates local officials – from governors down to brgy. chairs – should ensure that anti-drug abuse councils are functioning and the anti-dangerous drugs law are strictly enforced.

“We hope that the local officials, this time, would work with us in our illegal drug campaign,” Delicana said

For now, he said PDEA-6 would focus on enforcement of laws and memos on anti-illegal drugs drive, and that talks with DILG on possible sanctions may just follow.