House approves bill creating antidrug abuse councils

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has passed on third and final reading a measure creating antidrug abuse councils (Adacs) from the provincial to the barangay level to address drug dependence.

Voting 200 with no abstentions, the House approved House Bill No. 7812, which mandates the creation and funding of Adacs in all provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays.

The bill will require local government units to allocate at least two percent of their budget to fund the operation of the Adacs and Anti-Drug Abuse Offices (Adaos).

“The Adaos shall serve as the Adacs secretariat in charge of unifying and consolidating all local anti-illegal drug programs, projects and activities and institutionalizing all of Adacs’ activities,” said Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the bill’s principal author.

The Adacs will be headed by local chief executives, who will lead the prevention, monitoring, and rehabilitation of drug dependency cases in their localities.

Barbers, chair of the House dangerous drugs committee, said the Adao would be created in cities and municipalities and would be led by an executive director.

Provincial Adacs will be composed of the governor as chair, the police provincial director as vice-chair, Department of Education (DepEd) provincial official, Department of Justice (DOJ) provincial prosecutor, provincial social welfare officer, provincial health officer, provincial information officer, two nongovernmental organization (NGO) representatives, Sangguniang Kabataan provincial federation president, and Sanggunian chair for the committee on peace and order or committee on women as members.

The city Adacs will be chaired by the city mayor, the city police chief as vice-chair, and the DepEd division superintendent, DOJ prosecutor, city social welfare officer, city health officer, city public information officer, two NGO representatives, and the Sangguniang Kabataan city federation president as members.