LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The National Anti-Drug Abuse Council (NADAC) recognized two municipalities in the province for having functional municipal anti-drug abuse councils (MADACs) and barangay abuse councils (BADAC) that significantly contributed in efforts in the implementation of the government’s aggressive anti-drug campaign to rid their areas of illegal drugs.
The recognition was conferred by NADC officials to Mayor Romeo Salda of the capital town and Mayor Ruben Tindaan of Buguias during the awarding ceremonies held in Metro Manila last December 28, 2018 where all active anti-drug local governments and partners were recognized by the national government for their achievements in the unrelenting and uncompromising anti-drug efforts of the government.
The recognition was conferred to local governments and their partners that were consistent in the implementation of the government’s anti-drug campaign with the provision of the necessary interventions that paved the way for the drug surrenderers in their places to be brought back to the mainstream society and live a normal life as well as sustaining the campaign to achieve drug free status.
Salda claimed that in the capital town, some 4 drug surrenderers completed their aftercare treatment and successfully formed an association which established a coffee shop right in the heart of the town to serve as one of their sources of livelihood while looking for a place where to put up a carwash business.
“We are grateful to our national officials for conferring to La Trinidad and Buguias the coveted recognition that will serve as our inspiration and motivation to continue introducing the appropriate innovations to our local anti-drug campaign to eventually rid the municipality for the presence of individuals involved in the illegal drug trade while convincing individuals who continue to be involved in the illegal business to go back to the folds of the law and embrace a peaceful life with their families,” Mayor Salda stressed.
The local chief executive expressed his gratitude to the private partners of the local government, particularly Ms. Rose Co, for their unrelenting and uncompromising support in the sustained implementation of the aftercare intervention for drug surrenderers that allowed a substantial number of drug surrenderers to be brought back to mainstream society and embraced a normal life with their families.
He admitted that drug suspects being arrested by law enforcers and anti-drug operatives are actually not residents of the municipality but use the town as their transaction area which continues to affect the desire of the local government to be declared a drug-free municipality.
Salda remains optimistic the transactions of illegal drugs in the municipality will come to an end the soonest considering the intensified anti-drug operations of the government to help reduce the occurrence of crimes that affect the town’s peace and order campaign. By HENT
