PDEA Director General Undersecretary Arturo Cacdac Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA—The members of your neighborhood watch are no longer concerned with just maintaining the peace in your community.
Barangay tanods in Quezon City are now being enlisted in the campaign against illegal drugs as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s “eyes and ears” at the grassroots level.
“They will be our force multipliers at the community and street levels,” said PDEA Director General Arturo Cacdac in a statement.
The anti-narcotics agency recently held a special training for members of neighborhood watches, also known as barangay peace and security officers.
The 12-week “Skills Training Workshop for Quezon City BPSOs” was held from June 30 to August 8 as an “enhancement training” for the watchmen.
Cacdac himself delivered lectures to barangay watchmen on the revised guidelines in conducting barangay anti-illegal drug clearing operations.
“We have one objective in mind: to empower the barangay tanod to maintain and uphold peace and order in response to illegal drug related incidents,” Cacdac said.
The PDEA chief pointed out that BPSOs, who serve as partners and tipsters in their anti-illegal drug campaigns in barangays, are indispensible.
The training was conducted in coordination with the Quezon City government through Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, the Quezon City Anti-Drug Abuse Advisory Council and the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils.
Cacdac and director Wilkins Villanueva of the PDEA’s Preventive Education and Community Involvement Service discussed the duties and responsibilities of barangay watchmen in the anti-illegal drug campaign in their communities.
The PDEA is to conduct similar training workshops for BPSOs in other cities.