MANKAYAN, Benguet – The municipal government lauded the unrelenting and uncompromising anti-drug campaign of the Mankayan Municipal Police Station that led to the successive arrests of suspected drug personalities operating in the municipality over the past several days.
Mayor Frenzel A. Ayong stated that it seems that there are still individuals who continue to take the risk of trading illegal drugs to earn a living but the same should not be the recourse to be able to survive the effects of the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as there are still numerous legitimate ways to earn decent income for their families.
While law enforcers are trying their best to apprehend individuals who are involved in the illegal drug trade, he added that the municipal government in close coordination with the barangay officials will do their part in sustaining the ongoing information and education campaign on the serious negative effects of the use of illegal drugs to the health of the users and its subsequent impact to the individuals, their families and the whole community.
The local chief executive admitted that the presence of motorcycle-riding individuals roaming around the municipality during the wee hours of the day is a sign that there might be illegal transactions that are being done, thus, the need for law enforcers and members of the barangay peacekeeping action teams (BPATs) to be on alert to ensure the neutralization of the persons that are continuously involved in the illegal drug trade in the municipality.
According to him, it is also high time for family members to look after the welfare of their love ones by ensuring that their illegal activities will be immediately corrected so as not to worsen that might compromise their behavior among others.
He urged those persons who have been involved in the illegal drug trade to start abandoning their illegal activities because they will be the ones to suffer the consequences of their illegal actions while those who are using them to pursue the illegal drug in the municipality will remain scout free.
Mayor Ayong pointed out that the use of illegal drugs will not do anything good as it will instead cause the deterioration of the health of the users that might have a great impact on their human relations.
The mayor also called on the youth not to attempt to use illegal drugs being offered by illegal drug traders as the same will not do good to them and that they should remain committed in being the future of the country by being actively involved in various activities that will make them productive residents.
Ayong expressed hope that the ongoing anti-drug campaign of the law enforcers and anti-narcotics agents will be able to curb the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country so as not to compromise the health condition of the people, especially at this prevailing difficult times that people are trying to battle the unseen enemy that have heavily devastated the global economy and continuous to pose a threat in the various parts of the world.
He stipulated that barangay officials cannot do the job alone that is why it is important that the members of the family will be able to look after the welfare of their members to avoid the individuals from being addicted to the use of illegal drugs. By HENT
