• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Thirty-four barangays in Negros Island Region (NIR) have been declared by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) as drug cleared, following the 1st Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing Deliberation held at Camp Alfredo M. Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City on Aug. 22.
Of the drug cleared barangays, 27 are in Negros Occidental, six in Negros Oriental, and one in highly-urbanized Bacolod City.
In Negros Occidental, declared as drug cleared were San Teodoro in Binalbagan; Zone 6 and Luna in Cadiz City; Malatas and Pinucotan in Calatrava; Poblacion and Tuyom in Cauayan; Bunga in Don Salvador Benedicto; Magsaysay, Paitan, and Udtongan in Escalante City; Su-ay in Himamaylan City; barangays 2, Pilar, and Tagda in Hinigaran; Asia and Talacagay in Hinoba-an; Barangay 9 in Kabankalan City; Zone 3 and Zone 5 in Murcia; Poblacion II and Rizal in Sagay City; Prosperidad in San Carlos City; Zone 4, Zone 5, and Zone 15 in Talisay City; and Barangay Poblacion in Toboso.
Those in Negros Oriental were Amdus in Ayungon, Concepcion in Manjuyod, Calasga-an in Bais City, Bio-os in Amlan, Bulibulihan in Mabinay, and Bangcal in Jimalalud.
Barangay 4 is the lone drug cleared village in highly-urbanized Bacolod City.
For a barangay to be considered drug-cleared, it must meet the criteria set by the Dangerous Drugs Board, which includes the absence of illegal drugs, drug pushers, users, suppliers, financiers, manufacturers, or marijuana cultivation in the area.
The barangays must also pass assessments by the Department of Health, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Philippine National Police, who are part of the oversight committee in the clearing process.
The PDEA said that a drug-cleared status is not permanent, and if validated reports confirm the presence of illegal drugs again, the drug-cleared status could be revoked. | GB
