By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Barangay captains who fail to submit lists of drug users, peddlers, and protectors operating within their communities will face administrative charges, according to a statement made yesterday by Negros Occidental Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Director Carmelo Orbista.
Orbista explained the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) is mandated to regularly submit drug watchlists.
According to DILG records, 12,000 of the 42,000 barangays nationwide have no functioning BADAC, despite a circular making it mandatory.

Anybody can file administrative charges against barangay leaders who are not cooperating in the anti-drug campaign, Orbista said.
He said their office is currently monitoring barangay leaders in the province on their compliance with the creation of BADACs.
Earlier, the Police Regional Office-6 (PRO-6) called on the public not to vote for re-electionist barangay officials who are linked to the illegal drug trade.
While he has yet to determine if there are barangays in Negros Occidental with no BADAC, PRO-6 director, Police Chief Superintendent Cesar Hawthorne Binag, said they have field officers looking into the matter.
“Everybody knows everybody in the barangay,” he pointed out. “Voters should know if their barangays leaders have leanings or linkage to illegal drugs.”/DGB, WDJ