Fisherfolk who surrendered floating packs of suspected shabu to authorities are residents of drug-cleared towns in Mariveles, Bataan, and Bolinao, Pangasinan, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
PDEA Director General Isagani Nerez said these towns had been officially declared drug-cleared by the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing, after meeting the standards of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP).
“These municipalities have consistently implemented the BDCP. Their barangays are empowered and self-policing, with resilient citizens, stigma-free rehabilitated drug users, and reformists,” Nerez said.
He also lauded the honesty and vigilance of the fishermen, and the communities involved, saying this reflects the constructive impact of the BDCP. “For members of drug-cleared barangays, cooperation and participation against illegal drugs have become a way of life,” he added.
Nerez emphasized that the BDCP remains the cornerstone of the government’s anti-drug strategy. “Our goal is to eliminate illegal drugs barangay by barangay. Drug-affected areas are being cleared one by one, while cleared barangays are working hard to preserve their status,” he said.
