BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Evelio Leonardia renewed his support to the anti-drug campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte as the city hosted Saturday the launch of “Rehabinasyon,” a holistic approach in eliminating the country’s drug problem that puts a premium on the rehabilitation of drug surrenderers.
“The City is happy that Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) and the Presidential Communications Operations Office have chosen our beloved city as venue for Rehabinasyon,” Leonardia said in his keynote message during the launching rites held at the lobby of the Bacolod City Government Center.
The event was attended by about 350 representatives from various sectors, including barangay officials, students, social workers and policemen.
The mayor said that Bacolod has “warmly embraced and faithfully followed the policies, programs, projects and activities of the national government agencies fighting the war against drugs.”
He added that the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) has been very active and enthusiastic in performing its roles and duties and aligned its composition, structures and thrust with that of the ICAD.
Leonardia also said that Bacolod has done much in suppressing the proliferation of illegal drugs, in persuading the drug users to voluntarily surrender, and in providing rehabilitation to those who have decided to reform their ways.
Still, the mayor acknowledged that there is still much to be done, and if the Bacoleños are better equipped, Bacolod will have a better chance to succeed in its strong and committed fight against drugs.
Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Ramon Cualoping III said Rehabinasyon tells the story of the war on drugs on a different perspective.
“What’s being seen on TV, what’s being heard, what’s being read in the papers and online news is mostly about enforcement, but the actual things happening on the ground, there are lot of efforts from various agencies in terms of rehabilitation, reintegration, and in terms of advocacy. So, Rehabinasyon addresses that gap,” he added.
He noted that Rehabinasyon, , a portmanteau of rehabilitation and nation, has three message buckets – #RealNumbers, #RealSolutions, and #RealStories.
Through RealNumbers, data and facts are given out “to debunk fake news, alternative truth” while RealSolutions emphasize the various government programs headed by different agencies, Cualoping said.
For RealStories, highlighted were the “horror and success stories” of those involved in illegal drugs and eventually rehabilitated.
Rehabinasyon is an all encompassing-program implemented by the ICAD composed of 41 government agencies and four clusters, focusing on enforcement, justice, advocacy, and rehabilitation and reintegration.
Also present during the launching rites were Assistant Secretary Aurora Ignacio, the focal person in the campaign against illegal drugs, Department of Interior and Local Government Director Leo Trovela, Dangerous Drug Board Undersecretary Earl Saavedra, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director Elyvenson Plaza, and PDEA-6 Director Wardley Getalla. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
