Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director- general Aaron Aquino said the graduates from this city were a portion of the 25,000 drug users who have finished a comprehensive rehabilitation program in Central Luzon where centers called Bahay Pagbabago were established during his term as regional director of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Aquino, along with Mayor Julius Cesar Vergara and other officials, led the inauguration of the Balay Silangan here as he acknowledged that PDEA has still a lot of things to do with only a little over 1,300 personnel nationwide to carry out the fight against illegal drugs.
But Aquino stands with its vow to finish drug menace in the country by year 2022 as ordered by President Duterte.
“Napakahirap. Hindi ko rin alam kung paano maki- clear by 2022, but we have plans for it,” Aquino said as he urged newly elected barangay officials to keep working with the PDEA and the police in the fight against illegal drugs.
This, as Vergara pledged to put up a bigger space for Balay Silangan that will fast track reformation program.
The present one houses 30 drug users who will undertake reformation program for a minimum of three months.
The patients shall have to undergo spiritual, psycho- social, physical and livelihood training, according to Aquino.
Vergara said the city government would allocate fund from its P263-million surplus for the new house.
As of now, Aquino said, only four provinces were declared drug cleared, namely Batanes, Southern Leyte, Biliran and Romblon.
This city, on the other hand, is declared a pilot city for drug clearing.
