New mayor takes nonviolent tack vs drugs

JAEN, Nueva Ecija—Setting a less violent tone in the fight against illegal drugs, Mayor-elect Sylvia Austria said she would give drug pushers as much as P50,000 if they surrendered.

Austria would take on the town’s problems when she assumes office on June 30, including the drug problem plaguing four of its 27 villages.

“Every life is important and every pusher must be granted time to change his or her ways,” she said.

Under her program, a drug peddler who surrenders will receive P50,000, provided he or she undergoes counseling and livelihood training.

A drug abuser would be entitled to P20,000 provided he or she submits to rehabilitation. Once the abuser was rehabilitated, he or she would be given P30,000, “which would be used for alternative livelihood,” Austria said.
An interim board has been formed to ensure the efficiency of the program. Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon