Lim: Take action against drugs now

The Manila government on Monday urged local officials to act on the prevalent drug problem in the city following a report from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) that all of the 897 barangays in the area were “drug-affected.”

In a meeting with barangay (village) officials from the city’s six districts, Mayor Alfredo Lim said the report should not be taken lightly as he urged them to take steps to eradicate the problem.

At the same time, he noted that the PDEA report did not speak well of the country’s capital.

Barangay bureau director Analyn Buan said that all it took for a barangay to be declared “100 percent drug-affected” was for the PDEA to find just one drug addict in the area.

Lim, meanwhile, stressed that it was important for them to take immediate action now, specifically by reporting to authorities what they know about the illegal activities of suspected drug users or dealers in their areas.

“Taking positive action on these illegal activities will exculpate you from any responsibility,” the mayor said.

He also assured them that in the case of minors who would be picked up for drugs, they would be handled properly and would be detained separately from adult offenders.

In addition, Lim reminded barangay officials that creating a drug-free barangay was not only the responsibility of the police but also required their cooperation and support.