“If you support the war on drugs in its present form, then you’re only paying lip-service to the defense of freedom, and you don’t really grasp the concept of the sovereign individual human being.” –Neal Boortz
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Region VI (PDEA-6) is reportedly not happy those linked to illegal drugs in the Western Visayas won barangay captain and kagawad positions following the recent barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
PDEA-6 Director Wardley Getalla, in fact, called the wins by “narco-barangay officials” an “insult” to their agency, adding, they do not deserve to be elected into office.
He is correct. These narco-barangay officials are not supposed to be holding elective office, they should be in jail.
But PDEA is not blameless.
The law enforcement division, along with other agencies tasked with neutralizing the spread of illegal drugs, was sleeping on the job – to say the least. They had ample time to prevent evil with an ounce of effort; now have to deal evil a pound of cure.
Some of those “narco-politicians” would not have participated in the elections if the agency tasked with implementing an efficient and effective national drug control strategy (formulated by the Dangerous Drugs Board) performed its duty.
If PDEA was able to identify them as drug personalities months or years back, they should have filed cases against them. The agency only disclosed names (despite not all 200 really being engaged in illegal drugs) on April 30 – two weeks before the elections.
By that time, most people already made up their minds. In fact, PDEA’s “witch hunt” did not scare people; it benefited some as they ended up looking like underdogs, while others used the controversy to gain sympathy and appeal to emotion, claiming they were victims of “black propaganda” and “persecution.”
Many on the pre-election anti-illegal drugs radar won handily, tantamount to a slap in the face to law enforcement, especially the PDEA.
They did not work as quickly as these newly-elected officials, who should have been apprehended.
Surfing on the web isn’t a waste of time after all
According to research from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), people who search the internet an hour a day experience a jump in brain activity.
“The act of clicking through links and new information may build neutral connections and gray matter,” said Dr. Gary Small, M.D. “Over time, that might help protect against dementia.”
Garlic goodness
Adding garlic to a mean may protect health.
According to Analytical Biochemistry, the more consumed, the fewer carcinogens there are in the body.
Garlic also block nitrates, found in foods like processed meats, from turning toxic.
Rise in the name of good health
According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, every hour women spend sitting increases the likelihood of metabolic syndrome, which includes a series of risk factors including hypertension, high cholesterol, and abdominal obesity.
Fat as assets
Fat in the hips, thighs, and butt can be an asset, according to a review of various studies.
“Unlike belly fat, which is linked to chronic disease, fat in your lower body appears to absorb excess fatty acids, preventing them from traveling to organs, such as the liver, where they could put you at risk for diabetes,” said Dr. Konstantinos Manolopoulos, M.D./WDJ