PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, June 28 — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)here on Wednesday declared three municipalities as drug-free.
The declaration of Araceli, Cagayancillo, and Magsaysay as drug-free towns was led by PDEA Regional Director Jaquilyn de Guzman, Police Provincial Office Director Gabriel Lopez, and Palawan Provincial Administrator Jay Bolusa at the Conference Room of the Provincial Capitol Building.
Their declaration was made through the Barangay Clearing Program (BCP) of President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug war supported by DDB Regulation No. 3, Series of 2017.
Four municipalities were held candidates for drug-free declaration but the municipality of Kalayaan’s bid was opposed as it still lacks documents.
De Guzman said before any town would be declared drug- free, required documents must be complied with.
There should also be no presence of pushers, users, drug dens, laboratories, large-scale drug syndicates, marijuana plantation, and drug shipment.
De Guzman added that Kalayaan’s requirements would be followed up for eventual drug free declaration.
“There is more work to do when a town is declared drug- free because they need to maintain their status. We can also withdraw the drug-free declaration if they do not maintain this,” De Guzman said.
In May, Lopez said President Duterte’s anti-drug campaign has helped bring down the rate of index crimes in Palawan by 1.4 percent during the first quarter of 2017.
“The reason for the diminution on index crime rate, I strongly believe, was because of President Duterte’s serious anti-illegal drugs campaign. Who commits many of these crimes? These are those who are into illegal drugs use. For example, those who engage in burglary, they do it because they want to have money to buy illegal drugs,” he said. (Grace Ann N. Belostrino/PNA)
