BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan disclosed combined police operatives and anti-narcotics agents reported to the city government the decline in the number of drug affected barangays from 38 the previous months to 35 because of their unrelenting and uncompromising anti-illegal drug operations citywide over the past several weeks.
However, he still expressed concern that 3 of the drug affected barangays are now within the boundary of moderately and seriously affected, thus, the need for concerned authorities in coordination with barangay officials to enhance their anti-illegal drug campaign in order to rid the city with the proliferation of illegal drugs.
“WE have to continue strengthening our combined efforts to curb the proliferation of illegal drugs in the city. We have to closely work together in order to get rid of the seriousness of the drug problem in our city,” Domogan stressed.
Under existing rules and regulations, a barangay is classified as slightly drug affected if there has been one drug pusher that was identified to be residing in the place, moderately affected if there has been a drug pusher that was identified to be living in the place and severely affected if there has been a pusher and user identified to be living in the area and that there was also a laboratory confirmed to be operating in the place.
The city mayor recommended for the reactivation of the different barangay anti-drug abuse councils (BADACs) in order to be able to mobilize more volunteers to actively participate in the city’s all-out campaign against the proliferation of illegal drugs in the city and contribute in efforts to reduce the crimes committed because of the existence of drugs in the city.
He admitted that reliable information being coursed through him and referred to concerned authorities have turned out to be positive in the subsequent conduct of the necessary operations, thus, the need for utmost cooperation among the people for them to be the ones to report the presence of drug users, pushers and drug laboratories in their respective neighbourhood so that they could be subjected to surveillance operations to effect their arrest and dismantling of the operations of drug syndicates.
Domogan cited one of the causes of the occurrence of crimes in the city is the exposure of individuals to the available supply f illegal drugs being circulated by drug syndicates, thus, the urgent need for sustained anti-drug operations that will lead to the neutralization of individuals distributing the illegal drugs.
He advised today’s youth not to be involved in the use and sale of illegal drugs because it will ruin their bright future and for parents to continue looking after the welfare of their children for them not to be influenced by those trying to circulate illegal drugs at the expense of the present and future generations.
By Dexter A. See
