By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

During the 14th Regional Oversight Committee Deliberation, which recently took place at the Casa Real de Iloilo in Iloilo City, 393 barangays in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental were declared “drug-cleared.”

The nearly 400 neighborhoods were cleared out of a total 522 initially submitted for review.

The deliberation was headed by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Regional Director Alex Tablate, along with officials from the Police Regional Office-6, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, and various local government units.

Earlier this month, the Bacolod City Police Office confirmed PDEA had re-declared all 61 barangays in the city as drug-affected.

BCPO spokesperson, Police Major Ariel Pico, said new PDEA parameters prompted the declaration as barangays designated as either slightly or moderately drug-affected are required to have a “Balay Silangan” reformation center./DGB, WDJ