Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio reiterated her call to the Dangerous Drugs Board and Department of Interior and Local Government to specify their parameters in declaring a drug-cleared barangay.
In a media briefing on Monday morning, Duterte-Carpio bared that despite the recognition of the national government on the efforts against illegal drugs, none of the 182 barangays in the city are being declared as drug-cleared.
She lamented that the DDB and DILG have no specific guidelines on the declaration of drug-cleared barangay.
According to DDB Regulation No. 3, series of 2017, the parameters of the declaration are non-availability of drug supply; absence of transhipment activity; absence of clandestine laboratory, absence of clandestine drug warehouse; absence of clandestine chemical warehouse; absence of marijuana cultivation site; absence of drug den, dive or resort; absence of drug pusher; absence of drug user of drug dependent; absence of drug protector or coddler; active involvement of barangay official in anti-drug activities; active involvement of Sangguniang Kabataan to help maintain drug-liberated status of the barangay; existence of drug awareness, preventive education and information, and other related programs and existence of compulsory and voluntary drug treatment and rehabilitation processing desk.
Duterte-Carpio said these parameters by the DDB are not specific on her part because there are no required numbers set on each guideline.
“Ginapangayo nako na sa ilaha pero walay makatubag sa ako ana. So giingnan nako sila nga dili ko mo pirma og something og dili ko sigurado. Nganong mo hatag ko sa akong signature nga something not sure nga mo-certify ko as mayor nga drug-cleared na ang barangays nga wala man tay basehan (I asked it from them but no one can answer it. So, I told them that I will not sign if I am not sure. Why should I affix my signature and certify as mayor, a baranagay as drug-cleared which I am not sure and without any basis),” she said.
“I am afraid that if I will sign because I depend my declaration on the certification of the station commander and barangay official and then suddenly the police will operate in the area and someone will be arrested in their place,” Duterte-Carpio added.
She said she already sent this concern last June to the DILG because this agency is the one who urged her to declare a barangay as drug-cleared. The declaration is also one of the requirements for the Seal of Good Governance.
“I wrote them, telling them not to give us the award because I do not want to certify a barangay as drug-cleared since I am not sure with the parameters and I will just depend my judgements on the certification of the barangay officials and station commander of police station,” she said.
However, the DILG sent the City Government of Davao a Seal of Good Governance despite the absence of drug-cleared barangay in the city.
