OUT of the 42,036 barangays nationwide, almost half are still drug-affected, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
PDEA Director General Isidro Lapeña said the percentage represents a total of 20,872 barangays plagued by the drug menace.
The consolidated data was gathered from operational reports of PDEA’s operating units and other law enforcement agencies, he said.
“Out of these barangays, 66.7 percent or 13,920 are classified as slightly affected, 32.3 percent or 6,744 barangays are moderately affected, while the remaining one percent or 208 barangays are seriously affected,” he pointed out.
A barangay is considered drug-affected when there is a reported presence of drug user, pusher, manufacturer, marijuana cultivator or other drug personality, drug den, marijuana plantation, clandestine drug laboratory and facilities related to production of illegal drugs.
There are three classifications in determining barangay drug-affectation—slightly affected, moderately affected and seriously affected.
Metro Manila has the highest rate of barangay drug-affectation with 96.48 percent, followed by Region XIII at 86.58 percent and Region IX at 86.29 percent.
PDEA said the region least affected by the drug problem is the Cordillera Administrative Region at 3.49 percent.
At least 4,801 barangays were declared cleared from illegal drugs from July 1, 2016 to June 2017.
Last June 2, Batanes earned the distinction of being the country’s first province proclaimed as drug-free.
“The Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) composed of 39 member-agencies aims to clear 5,272 barangays before the year ends. If we can sustain the pace, ridding the country’s drug problem in the next four years is very much doable,” the PDEA chief said.
PDEA, meanwhile, has dismissed from the service a former regional director and an agent for grave misconduct.
In a 20-page July 19 decision of the agency’s Internal Affairs Service, former regional director at the National Capital Region Erwin Ogario and intelligence Officer IV Sherwin Manuel were meted the penalty of dismissal and one-year suspension, without pay, respectively.
“Based on the substantial evidence presented against the erring personnel, they acted in violation of the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service, Code of Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and the PDEA Code of Conduct,” director general Isidro Lapeña said.
Ogario and Manuel were held liable for obstruction of justice for facilitating the release of an arrested drug importer after claiming a parcel containing 1,358 ecstasy tablets at the Philippine Postal Corp. office in Pasay City on June 29, 2015 without filing any criminal charge against the suspect.
“Both personnel were also found guilty for corrupt practices as they attempted to influence their subordinates to perform an act contrary to law and existing rules and regulation in connection with the official duties of the latter,” Lapeña said.
Ogario and Manuel displayed clear intent to violate the protocol of arresting suspects, he added.
Due to the accountability and nature of Ogario’s position as leader of the operating unit, the applicable penalty was dismissal, while Manuel, being only the subordinate of Ogario, acted on the illegal order given to him and other malicious participation surrounding the circumstances, a penalty of suspension of one-year without pay was appropriate, the PDEA chief said.
“Ogario and Manuel used their position to benefit themselves. They disregarded the values of morality, uprightness and honesty and the Agency’s core values which are expected of them,” he said.
