In Cebu City: Only 10 of 80 brgys have anti-drug body

CEBU, Philippines - Most of the barangays in Cebu City do not have an organized Barangay Anti-Drugs Abuse Council despite a directive from the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention chief, Alice Utlang, said only 10 out of the 80 barangays have organized BADAC. Utlang, however, did not mention the names of the barangays.

BADAC is tasked to formulate policies and programs on how to improve the campaign against drug addiction and drug trafficking in the barangay. It is headed by the barangay captain with representatives from the various sectors of the community.

The council is composed of the chairman of the committee on peace and order in the Barangay Council, the chief of the barangay tanods, principals of the schools that are situated in the barangay, and the presidents of the community associations.

The chief of the police station which territorial jurisdiction covers the concerned barangay will only serve as the council’s adviser.

Utlang has requested the president of the Association of Barangay Councils, Philip Zafra, to look into it.

In the previous years, The FREEMAN found out that some barangays did not have a functional BADAC.

They merely submitted the list of its composition in compliance with the DILG directive but are not functioning.

Utlang said, had the barangay captains activated its respective BADAC, the drug menace would not have been as serious as it is today. —/FPL (FREEMAN)