Kalinga gov wants stop to illegal drugs by end of the year

By Peter A. Balocnit

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- Gov. Jocel Baac wants 100 percent   eradication of illegal drugs problem in the province, n ot only reducing drug users by year-end.

Baac urged law enforcers, local government officials, national agencies, and community people to work together and explore all means to stamp out the drug menace besetting their respective areas.

“It should not only be a reduction but total eradication and achieving it is through a concerted effort and serious implementation of the directives of the President,” Baac told a media forum.

There must be a stop on illegal drugs until December 31 of this year, he added.

“We will not only deal on apprehending those listed by the Philippine National Police or those who surrendered but more on pushers,” Baac said, adding to stop once and for all proliferation and use of illegal drugs, “we have to control the source in order to cut the supply chain.”

Mayer Adong, provincial director of the Department of Interior and Local Government, who presented the government’s Sulong Pilipinas program during the forum, said all local chief executives who attended the summit agreed to help meet the national target of reducing drug pushers, users and supply of prohibited drugs.  

In his presentation, the DILG committed performance target of 100% reduction in number of drug users by end of 2016.

There were 1,526 surrenderees – 135 pushers and 1,391 users, Adong said citing PNP report.