MANILA — Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Monday slammed barangay officials who continue to violate the law mandating the formation of anti-drug abuse councils in their areas.
Citing data from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Dela Rosa said some 12,000 barangays across the country still have no functioning Barangay Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) despite a Department Circular that require the mandatory creation of such body in all 42,000 barangays in the country.
The DILG has strongly reiterated that all barangays are required to appropriate a portion of their annual budget for the BADAC, otherwise there are “grounds for a possible administrative case of dereliction of duty pursuant to Section 60 of the Local Government Code.”
Dela Rosa said the implementation of the PNP Project Double Barrel has been adversely affected, to a certain extent, in these barangays without operational BADACs.
With this, he said the PNP supports the awareness drive to reject re-electionist village officials in this year’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections who are uncooperative to the national anti-drug campaign.
According to the PNP chief, the BADACs are the most formidable anti-drug local government bodies that can be created because due to its influence on local residents and can relate to the needs of their constituents.
The BADACs were deputized to plan and implement strategic policies and evaluate programs and projects on drug prevention and control, given the political and police powers of the barangays to administer the affairs of the community, he said.
In order to accelerate efforts against the proliferation of illegal drugs in drug-affected barangays, BADACs are deputized and empowered to implement strategic policies on drug prevention and control, given the political and police powers of the barangay to administer the affairs of the community.
PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. John C. Bulalacao explained that Project Tokhang which is the centerpiece action of the anti-drug campaign depends primarily on inputs from the BADACs on the presence and activities of drug personalities in the community.
Without these inputs from the BADACs, Bulalacao said, Tokhang will be ineffective in setting the demand reduction strategy into motion.
The synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections are scheduled on May 14 of this year. The election period extends from April 14 to May 21.
Prohibited acts during the period include bearing, carrying or transporting firearms or other deadly weapons, transferring or detailing officers and employees in the civil service, the suspension of any elective provincial, city or municipal officer. (Benjamin Pulta/PNA)
