Drug oversight Comm into

Clearing Tiptip, Mansasa

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Dec 6 (PIA)—After two of its barangays now cleared of illegal drugs affectation, Tagbilaran City is now aspiring to add two more into its drug-cleared list, says Deputy Police Chief Lieutenant Adriel John Francisco, at the recent Kapihan sa PIA.

Francisco, who came to announce the Tagbilaran City Police programs at the radio forum streamed online, said next to San Isidro and Cabawan, they are validating Tiptip and Mansasa, to be declared as drug cleared.

He added that the joint Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing Program is now validating the documents and assessing the situation of the two barangays which were formerly drug affected, but have been subjected to Barangay Drug Clearing Program.

The Barangay Drug Clearing Program, a whole-of-nation approach and holistic strategy for addressing the drug problem in the city, where a multi-agency multi-sectoral approach is anchored on the critical cooperation of the Barangay Anti Drug Abuse Councils, law enforcement authorities, rehabilitation, social reintegration, medical as well as spiritual advisers to banner respect for human dignity.

Even with the intensified anti-illegal drug operations, the community is helping out in clearing communities by reporting, validating and monitoring drug personalities, adds Police Chief Master Sergeant Carl John Legazpi, police community relations head of the city police.

To complement the City police and the narcotics agents, police authorities have expanded their reach by organizing the Tagbilaran City Community Watchers (TACOW), a network of police assets comprised of venders, masseurs at the Plaza, balut vendors, habal habal drivers and Tricycle Operators and Drivers Associations all over the city.

These are the people who are always in the streets and they can be helping the police and the community by reporting anything they see as unusual, strange personalities and groups that frequent certain places.

They are very effective, in fact they have direct lines to the police stations and their handlers, so the reporting is faster. And most of the time, these reports produce positive results, according to Lt. Francisco.

In fact, in essence, with the city police to population ratio at 1:900, the police would need all the help they can get to expand their effectivity, the official stressed.

As to how to engage the help of communities, City Police Community Relations bureau head PCMS Legazpi said they do weekly outreach activities, bring in livelihood programs and advance the city police version of the Provincial Libreng Alagad og Balay (LAB).

LAB is a local incentive program for law abiding Boholanos who could not afford to build for them a house. Here, the police run fund raising activities to generate support funds for their outreach programs.

He cited the Tagbilaran City Half Marathon which has been the single biggest source of their outreach funds that go to Adopt a School, pick a school identified project for funding, the libreng pabahay and the school visits mobilization.

All of these activities have information, education and communication components that tell pupils, students, communities and target groups the ill effects of illegal drugs, rehabilitation, peace and order issues and moral recovery programs, Legazpi said. (PIABohol)

GOING FOUR. Deputy chief Lt Adriel John Francisco revealed that the Regional Oversight Committee for Barangay Drug Clearing Program is now validating two more barangays in Tagbilaran City as candidates for drug clearing and vetting by the evaluating team. (PIABohol)