Mayor sets aside P10M for anti-drug campaign

CEBU, Philippines - The anti-drug campaign is now getting its share of Mandaue City's 2017 annual budget that Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing submitted to the City Council.

Quisumbing is allocating P10 million for the anti-drug programs under the account maintenance and other operating expenses.

In his two-page budget message dated October 14 and addressed to the council, Quisumbing proposed P2.395 billion budget for 2017. Of the amount, P140.695 million is set aside for development projects, which is 20 percent of the city's Internal Revenue Allotment.

"Full provisions are made for all statutory and contractual obligations. Like 20 percent development fund, employee benefits, aid to component barangays, loan amortization, maintenance of city roads and bridges, anti-drug campaign is allotted a fair share of the budget," the mayor said in his budget message.

Based on the previous records of the City Budget Office, former mayor Jonas Cortes did not allot for anti-drug programs in the city's 2015 and 2016 budgets.

Local government units are required to set aside budget for anti-drug abuse programs as mandated under Republic Act 9165 (Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002).

Under Section 51 of the law, LGUs must assist in the campaign against illegal drugs by appropriating substantial budget for the prevention, education and rehabilitation or treatment of drug dependents.

The provision is magnified by two memorandum circulars from the Department of Interior and Local Government, which direct LGUs to activate their respective Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (ADAC) and to allocate money for operations.

Vice Mayor Carlo Pontico Fortuna, the council presiding officer, said he was happy that the mayor allocated funds for the program.

The city has a program, which is designed to be community-based to make it a localized approach in treating drug users.

At least 1,467 drug users have surrendered voluntarily in Mandaue City since the government launched Oplan Tokhang in July.

Fortuna said there were surrenderers who have undergone community-based therapy, in which they received counseling – including alcohol, smoking and substance involvement test-brief intervention – to determine their level of drug dependence. (FREEMAN)