PDEA 2 to declare Cagayan’s first drug-cleared municipality

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan, Sept 20 (PIA) — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 2 will declare Sta. Teresita town here as the first drug-cleared municipality in the province of Cagayan on 29 September 2017.

Louella Tomas, PDEA 2 information officer, said the barangays of Masi, Simbaluca, Villa, Luga, Buyun, Simpatuyo, Centro East, Mission and Centro West are now drug-cleared while the barangays of Alucao, Caniugan, Dungeg and Aridowen are now drug-free.

It should be recalled that during the Cagayan Peace and Order Council Meeting here in August, PDEA Regional Director Laurefel Gabales bared that no barangay in this province is declared drug-free.

Before declaring that a barangay is free from illegal drug activities, the oversight committee headed by the PDEA must convene and validate the non-availability of drug supply in the area and the absence of drug transit activity, clandestine drug laboratory and chemical warehouse, marijuana cultivation site, drug den, drug pusher and user.

Tomas said they are now preparing the necessary documents needed before they declare the municipality as drug-cleared and they are in-depth coordination with the Local Government Unit of Sta. Teresita.

Moreover, Tomas said individuals who voluntarily surrendered are no longer called ‘drug surrenders’ instead they are now being called as ‘Tokhang Responders’