CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, July 10 (PNA) – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Friday said that illegal drug dens are operating in each of the 11 “seriously affected” villages here.
PDEA regional director Wilkins M. Villanueva, of Northern Mindanao, said that of the 80 rural and urban villages here, illegal drug trade affected 38 villages.
He said that 20 villages were moderately affected due to the presence of one “pusher” while the presence of one “user” has affected one village.
Villanueva issued the assessment when asked to provide a briefing about the illegal drug situation in response to reports of the alleged proliferation of the illicit drug trade here.
He said that one of the most effective approaches is the implementation of the “village clearing” programs in order to focus the fight against the illegal drug trade in the village level.
Villanueva said that the PDEA would help the local government to implement the “village clearing” program to counter the spread of the illegal drug trade.
“The time is now ripe to implement the program in order to liberate the villages from the clutches of dangerous drugs,” he said.
Villanueva also exhorted the local law enforcers to focus the fight against the illegal drug syndicate equally on the “users” instead of the “pushers” alone.
He said that the drug cartel “hurts” when the users are rehabilitated because the users bring the money to the drug traders. (PNA)