6 Iloilo villages in drive against illegal drugs

ILOILO CITY—Authorities are focusing on six barangays in Iloilo City in the campaign against illegal drugs.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Western Visayas in a year-end report identified the villages of Tanza Esperanza, Bakhaw, Desamparados, South San Jose, Monica and Boulevard as “major areas of concern” due to the presence of drug users and pushers. The six villages are among 61 of the city’s 180 barangays affected by illegal drugs, according to a report of PDEA Western Visayas director Paul Ledesma.

More than half of villages in the city are unaffected while 22 others or 12 percent have been cleared of illegal drug activities.

The drug situation in the city has come under close scrutiny after several men led by alleged drug lord Melvin Odicta attempted to forcibly enter a radio station that has been tackling in its commentaries the illegal drug operations in the city.

The attempted break-in at dyOK Aksyon Radyo Iloilo last month prompted a Senate inquiry that focused on the existence of drug groups in the city and the operations of PDEA and the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO).

Sen. Grace Poe, chair of the Senate committees on public information and mass media and on public order and dangerous drugs, who presided over the inquiry earlier said she would ask the Internal Affairs Service of the Philippine National Police to investigate members of the ICPO for possible links with drug groups.

The PDEA has identified the two groups led by Odicta and Richard Prevendido that are operating in the city.

The PDEA and ICPO reported that arrests related to illegal drugs have increased this year due to their heightened campaign.