By Kate Javier & Hans Amacio
At least 24 barangays in Valenzuela City were declared as drug-free workplaces by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) recently.
PDEA said that out of 33 barangays in the city, 24 have been declared drug-free workplace through the Drug-Free Workplace Committee in the barangays.
These include Barangays Arkong Bato, Balangkas, Bignay, Canumay East, Canumay West, Coloong, Dalandanan, Karuhatan, Lawang Bato, Mabolo, Malanday, Malinta, Mapulang Lupa, Maysan, Parada, Paso de Blas, Pasolo, Pulo, Punturin, Rincon, Tagalag, Ugong, Veinte Reales, and Wawang Pulo.
All these villages have all complied with the basic requirements of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Regulation No. 2 Series of 2004, guidelines for the implementation of Drug-Free Workplace Program.
These include the passage of a Workplace Anti-Drug Abuse policy, creation of Workplace Anti-Drug Abuse Committee, publication and signing of policy to all employees, conduct of mandatory drug test and corresponding action, and evaluation and issuance of resolution for the declaration.
“All sustaining efforts will be done to keep these barangays drug-free workplaces. We’re targetting to clear the remaining barangays at the end of this month,” said Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Valenzuela Director Mary Jane Nicario.
Meantime, two men were placed behind bars after allegedly snatching a low-end phone from a driver in a robbery incident Friday in Manila.
PO3 Joy Alcoriza, case investigator, identified the suspects as Michael Rioflorito, 31, of 1443 Simoun corner Antipolo St., Sampaloc, Manila, and Benjamin Esguerra, Jr, 21, residing inside the Manila North Cemetery.
Initial investigation revealed that the victim, identified as Rommel Pascual, 48, of Sampaloc, Manila was driving his closed van on April 6 at around 9:30 p.m. when he stopped at a red light along Dimasalang corner Metrica St., Samaploc, Manila.
One of the suspects grabbed Pascual’s phone from the van’s window and tossed it to his cohort, prompting the victim to run after the suspects as he shouted for help.