Four villages in the City of Makati have been declared cleared and free of illegal drugs.
The Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing Program declared barangays Urdaneta and San Lorenzo as drug-free, while Forbes Park and Magallanes were named drug-cleared barangays.
Urdaneta was the first barangay in Makati to be declared as drug-cleared and eventually drug-free as of February this year. The other three villages were formally recognized during the 3rd Quarter Meeting of the City Peace and Order Council held at I’M Hotel in Makati last Wednesday.
Mayor Abigail Binay commended the respective barangay captains of the four villages for their exemplary commitment and support for the city government’s efforts to eradicate the drug menace in every community toward a drug-free Makati.
“I salute the leaders of the first four Makati barangays that have been declared drug-cleared. It is a difficult task that calls for a genuine commitment to duty and strong leadership, and I hope the barangay chiefs of the remaining barangays will be motivated to replicate their achievement,” she said.
The barangays are led by chairmen Leonard Alandy-Dy (Urdaneta), Ernesto Moya (San Lorenzo) and Evangeline Manotok (Forbes Park), and Councilor Armando Padilla (Magallanes), president of the Liga ng mga Barangay.
Chaired by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Director, the Regional Oversight Committee is composed of Department of the Interior and Local Government Regional Director as vice chairman, with Philippine National Police, Department of Health, the mayor or local chief executive or a representative appointed by the LCE, and Treatment and Rehabilitation Center DoH as members.
The oversight committee, together with the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs issued the certifications to the three barangays on April 24, 2018.
Meanwhile, Barangay Urdaneta received its drug-free certification on Feb. 13, 2018.
The certificates, signed by Mayor Binay, DILG-Makati Director Cherry Canda-Melodias, Dr. Bernard Sese, City Health Officer, and city police chief Senior Supt. Rogelio Simon were formally presented by Intelligence officer Rhea Valenzuela of PDEA-NCR on Wednesday.
Other officials present at the meeting included Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo and City Administrator Claro Certeza.
The DILG-Makati explained that barangays which are initially validated by the PDEA as “drug-cleared barangays” will receive a “drug-free” certification once they consistently show zero illegal drug incidents on record.
The four barangays showed compliance with the parameters set for declaring “Drug-Cleared Barangays” per Section 8 of DDB Regulation No. 3, series of 2017.
Among the conditions complied with are non-availability of drug supply; absence of drug transit/transshipment activity; absence of clan drug laboratory; absence of clan drug warehouse; absence of clan chemical warehouse; absence of marijuana cultivation site; absence of drug den, dive or resort; absence of drug pushers; absence of drug users and drug dependents; and absence of protectors, coddlers and financiers.
Factors also considered are the active involvement of barangay officials in anti-illegal drugs activities; active involvement of Sangguniang Kabataan representatives in maintaining the drug-liberated status of the barangay; and the existence of drug awareness, preventive education and information, and other related anti-illegal drugs programs and the existence of a voluntary and compulsory drug treatment and rehabilitation processing desk in the barangay.
Based on the DDB Regulation, after conducting drug-clearing operations in the barangay, the local Chief of Police will issue the “drug-cleared” status of the barangays, followed by the release of the certification to be signed by the chairman of city Anti-Drug Abuse Council.
PDEA will then validate the certification and the Regional Oversight Committee and the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs will formally issue the certificate to the local government unit and its barangay.