There are now 392 drug cleared barangays in Negros Occidental, or 65.22 percent of the 601 provincewide, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported on Monday, December 19.
PDEA Provincial Officer Jyxyvzcky Escrupolo gave her report at the fourth quarter joint meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council at the Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City, presided by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.
She said 79 of the 392 barangays were declared drug cleared in 2022.
“Although there was some improvement, there were also some barangays that were not renewed as far as being declared drug free”, Lacson said.
“Definitely we want to have a bigger and better accomplishment next year for drug free barangays,” he said.
Pulupandan has the highest number of drug cleared barangays at 20, followed by Sipalay City with 17, Victorias City – 15, Valladolid -14, Pontevedra – 14, Sagay City – 12, Talisay City -12, Silay City – 9, Murcia – 8, Toboso -7, San Carlos City – 7 , Don Salvador Benedicto -6 and San Enrique – 5, Escrupolo said.
The Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office said it confiscated 15,670 grams of shabu and 8,569.92 grams of marijuana worth P107,580,781 from January to December 15.
The police also arrested 843 drug suspects in Negros Occidental this year.*