By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

According to Valladolid town police chief, Police Senior Inspector Junji Liba, seven of the 16 barangays in his town will soon be declared as “drug-free barangays.”
The seven barangays were identified as Guintorilan, Batuan, Ayungon, Doldol, Alijis, Paloma and Bayabas.
He said, once declared, Valladolid will become the first of the 19 municipalities in Negros Occidental to have barangays cleared of illegal drugs.
Liba added, two of the seven were supposed to be declared as drug-free last year, however, changes in protocols from the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), particularly with the issuance of the DDB Regulation No.3 issued in March of this year, added five more barangays to the list.
Meanwhile, Valladolid Mayor Enrique Miravelles thanked the seven barangay captains and their respective residents for their cooperation in the fight against illegal drugs.
He also congratulated the town’s police force for their aggressive drug campaign, and hopes the remaining barangays in town will also be declared as cleared of illegal drugs./WDJ