By MARTIN SADONGDONG
The Philippine National Police (PNP) encouraged voters not to support re-electionist village officials in the May 2018 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls who remain uncooperative to the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign.
Citing the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa noted that about 12,000 barangays across the country still have no operational Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC).
Dela rosa stated that BADACs are not operational in 12,000 barangays despite a department circular which requires the mandatory creation of a barangay-level anti-drug abuse council in all of the 42,000 barangays in the Philippines.
“Dalawa lang ang implication niyan, hindi organized ang BADAC dahil takot sila kalabanin ang sindikato. Number two, baka pasok sila sa sindikato,” dela Rosa said.
Because of this, dela Rosa noted the implementation of the anti-illegal drug campaign dubbed as Project Double Barrel Reloaded has been “adversely affected.”
In fact, Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, PNP spokesperson, said Oplan Tokhang, which is the centerpiece action in the lefthand effort of the antidrug campaign, depends primarily on inputs from the BADACs on the presence and activities of drug personalities in the community.
Without these inputs from the BADACs, Tokhang will be ineffective in setting the demand reduction strategy into motion, Bulalacao said.
To address this, Dela Rosa said he has ordered the local police force to conduct Oplan Tokhang (knock and plead) against the erring village officials.
“Kailangan bago mag-eleksyon na-tokhang na lahat ng kapitan na ‘yan, nakausap na,” the chief PNP said.
The barangay and SK elections will be conducted on May 14.