Bato wants cases filed vs. barangay execs without functioning anti-drug abuse council

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Monday said he wants cases filed against barangay officials who are not making use of  their anti-drug abuse council.

Citing data from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the country's top cop said that 12,000 out of 42,000 barangays nationwide "remain to be without a functioning" Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) despite a department circular requiring its mandate creation.

"Kasama 'yan sa campaign natin na dapat paganahin 'yung BADAC. So kakasuhan natin sila," Dela Rosa said at a press briefing.

Dela Rosa said that these "flagrant acts of omission by some incumbent barangay officials persisted despite strong reiteration by DILG that all barangays are required to appropriate portion of their annual budget for the BADAC.

He added that there are "grounds for a possible administrative case of dereliction of duty" pursuant to Section 60 of the Local Government Code.

Meanwhile, the PNP's anti-illegal drug campaign "Project Double Barrel" has also been "adversely affected, to a certain extent, in these barangays without operational BADACs," according to Dela Rosa.

"Project Tokhang which is the centerpiece action in the lefthand effort of the anti-drug campaign, depends primarily on inputs from the BADACs on the presence and activities of drug personalities in the community," Dela Rosa said.

"Without these inputs from the BADAC, Tokhang will be ineffective in setting the demand reduction strategy into motion," he added.

The BADAC is mandated to "plan, strategize, implement and evaluate programs and projects on drug abuse prevention in the barangay." — RSJ, GMA News