65 Barangays in CAR affected by illegal drugs

June 9, 2019 Headlines

BAGUIO CITY- Sixty-five barangays in the Cordillera region are affected with illegal drugs, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency- Cordillera (PDEA-Cordillera).
PDEA-CAR director Edgar Apalla said Abra has the biggest number of drug affected barangays (DAB) with 29; followed by Baguio City with 17; Kalinga, 8; Benguet and Apayao, 5 each; and Ifugao, 1.
Apalla made the disclosure during the Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (RLECC) meeting held on Friday, June 7 at the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO).
Police Regional Office Cordillera (PROCOR) chief Israel Ephraim Dickson presided the meeting.
The PDEA official pointed out that some 751 barangays in the region have been declared cleared of illegal drugs while 360 barangays are unaffected. The region has a total 1,175 barangays.
Apalla added that the creation of Barangay Clearing Program Oversight Committee under Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Resolution No. 3, Series of 2017 validates a barangay before it will be declared cleared on illegal drugs.
Based on the Regional Drug Situation Update-Cordillera Administrative Region presented by Apalla covering the period January 1 to May 31 this year, drug involvement of arrested drug personalities, shabu or methamphetamine hydro-chloride is the most abused drug in the Cordillera, followed by marijuana.
PDEA said that marijuana is being cultivated in Tinglayan, Kalinga, and in the towns of Kibungan and Bakun, in Benguet.
The joint anti-drug operations by drug agents, police and other law enforcement units netted P151.051 million worth of marijuana (plants, dried leaves and hashish).
Some 160 drug related cases were filed in court that included the arrest of 179 suspected drug personalities (high value targets) numbering to 30.
Based on PDEA-CAR assessment, “some drug surrenderees are believed to have resurged in the illegal drug activities. Drug suspects who applied for plea bargaining have come back to their illegal activities.”
“Big time drug personalities are using Baguio City as their Rest and Recreation area,” the assessment stated. As this developed, the drug agency recommended some measures to eradicate the drug menace— conduct massive marijuana eradication and rehabilitate drug suspects before their release from jail, and strengthen intelligence gathering.
 
Primo Agatep/ABN