Intelligence Officer II Michael Vargas of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) recently addressed the drug situation in the province during the Capitol reports held at the Ceremonial Hall, New Capitol building.

Illegal drugs have always been a real concern for all of society anywhere because it not only destroys the lives of the drug users but affects their families and the community as well.

I.O. II Vargas said that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has a two-pronged approach towards combating the drug problem in the country: 1) supply reduction, which deals with anti-drug operations; and 2) demand reduction, which deals with operations like drug clearing at the barangay level.

In their fight against illegal drugs in a span of eight months (January-August 2022) PDEA Bohol has conducted a total of fourteen (14) anti-drug operations and ninety-two (92) surveillance and test buy operations, which resulted in the arrested of twenty-eight (28) personalities and in seizing a total of two hundred forty-four (244) grams of illegal drugs.

The latest data of PDEA Bohol show that it has achieved five hundred fifty-three (553) drug cleared barangays and that there are seventeen (17) drug-free barangays in the province.

The other initiative done by PDEA was proposing two “balay-silangan” sites, one in Albur and the other in Balilihan. This initiative is intended for the reformation of drug pushers.

According to Fmr. Under Secretary and current Executive Assistant Arturo Evangelista, Governor Aris Aumentado instructed him to canvass for drug-sniffing dogs that will be deployed on all ports to intensify the illegal drug operations to curb the drug problem in the province. (MAEP)