Dinagyang fire nips drug trade in 3 brgys-PDEA-6

ILOILO CITY ,Philippines  — The fire that hit three villages in the city during the Dinagyang Festival had caused damage to the illegal drug activities in the area, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency–Western Visayas

PDEA-6 director Yogi Felimon Ruiz however said this did not mean that the dire effect would force drug pushers into oblivion.

 “Naturally, it will slow down but we presumed it would just result to a drug spill over into other known seriously-drug affected areas,” he said.

PDEA-6 records showed the fire-hit villages of Tanza-Esperanza and Malipayon in City Proper district are two of the nine seriously-affected barangays in this city, and Tanza-Timawa is a known drug trade area.

With the fire destroying 409 houses in the three barangays, Ruiz deemed that illegal transactions would just be diverted to Brgy. Bakhaw in Mandurriao district and Brgy. Desamparados in Jaro district.

PDEA said that, other than Bakhaw and Desamparados, there are no other drug peddling areas that could match up the stocks in the three fire-hit areas.

“Illegal drug users would look for alternative sources and we foresee that the two villages might be hot spots for them. They would be the ones to determine the area,” Ruiz said.

“Dahil may mga nasunog na drug dens at stocks, maghahanap sila ng mapupuntahan. The presence of squatters’ area made it hard for law operatives to penetrate but pose good prospects for drug users,” Ruiz said.

PDEA-6 is now studying every move that illegal pushers and users are doing to continue the busted trade, albeit temporarily, in the three barangays, Ruiz said.