BACOLOD CITY — The head of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) here urged Bacoleńos not to vote for candidates running in the barangay elections linked to illegal drugs.
“We should not give them a chance to occupy a public office,” said DILG-Bacolod Director Ma. Joy Maredith Madayag in an interview.
Madayag made the call as she stressed the importance of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (BADACs) in solving the illegal drug problem in the villages.
“It is the responsibility of the BADAC to take action to (have) a drug-free barangay,” she added.
Madayag said barangay officials are required to submit regular monitoring reports on the campaign against illegal drugs. However, some barangays have failed to comply.
This becomes a big challenge for us and the city government, she said.
Madayag said the DILG is conducting an assessment on the activation of the BADACs after Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran pushed for the move, with 100 percent of the barangays in Bacolod already drug-affected, based on the data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
As of February 2018, out of the 61 barangays in Bacolod, 36 are moderately-affected by drugs while 25 are slightly-affected.
The vice mayor pointed out that while the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) is active in the campaign against illegal drugs, there is a problem with BADACs in carrying out their functions over fear of possible retaliation by drug suspects.
Familiaran said the DILG should monitor the compliance of the barangays in the activation of the BADACs and in imposing sanctions on those that are non-compliant. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
