The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) assured on Monday, February 24, that the illegal drug situation in Western Visayas region remains under control despite ongoing challenges.

“Our problem persists, but the situation in Western Visayas remains manageable,” PDEA Region 6 information officer Graciella Tanaleon said in an interview on Monday, adding that the agency conducts continued arrests and targets key areas.

“Our law enforcement agencies remain vigilant to address drug problems through sustained operations, intelligence gathering and, most importantly, our community engagement and preventive education,” she said.

From January to February 22, PDEA reported the dismantling of eight drug dens — three in Iloilo City, two in Capiz province, and one each in Iloilo province, Bacolod City and Antique province.

Tanaleon clarified that these operations do not indicate a rise in drug activities but rather the effectiveness of ongoing monitoring and law enforcement efforts.

“Authorities are proactive in tracking and neutralizing drug-related activities, ensuring that Region 6 remains under control,” she said.

Under the Barangay Drug Clearing Program, 3,787 barangays have been deliberated, with over 2,400 cleared and more than 1,300 declared drug-free. Only 264 barangays are pending evaluation by the Regional Oversight Committee.

“The total deliberated is 93.48 percent. So less than seven percent still need to submit documents for deliberation,” she said.

They are also looking to visit some barangays for possible revocation of their clearance, especially those who have not updated the status of their villages.

“We always emphasize during validation and verification of barangays that our status as drug-cleared or drug-free barangays is not permanent. The validation is good only for six months,” she said.

She added that in other regions, there are barangays with revoked status. (PNA)