by Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY, Basilan – The Isabela City Anti-Drug
Abuse Council (CADAC) will revitalize the communities’ involvment in curbing
illegal drugs in the city.
In a recent CADAC meeting, the council has resolved to involve
more sectors in the community and strengthen the role of the Barangay Anti-Drug
Abuse Committee in the fight against illegal drugs.
During the discussions, the council has expressed concern over the
dismissed cases filed before the prosecutor’s office due to technicalities and
how these have been impacting on the morale of law enforcement, particularly
the agents of the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
City Administrator Ramon T. Nuñal had expressed dismay over how
the drug-related cases failed to pass Fiscal’s scrutiny.
“This is the reason why we have not called for the CADAC meeting
for quite sometime due to these frustrations on how the drug-related cases are
being handled by the Fiscal Office,” Nuñal said, stressing that law enforcement
agents are investing time, money, and even risking peoples’ lives.
He cited also that the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force had also
the same frustrations.
He also observed that the issue of illegal drugs remains to be
an individual or personal level rather than a household and communal-level
concern that needs communal approach in addressing the drug-abuse menace.
The council also planned to conduct community-based forum on the
issue of illegal drugs to particular sectors, like the youth, women, and
elected officials in the barangays in support of the efforts of the local
police. The council also saw the need to create sustained advocacy initiatives
given that one-shot information campaigns proved to be ineffective when not
sustained. Also, the council moved to create criteria or basis that will
categorize particular barangay, with the help of the PNP, in order to determine
the degree of illegal drug infiltration in the communities.
Isabela City police chief Albert C. Larubis said that at least
40 percent of cases filed at Fiscal Office had been dismissed, mostly due to
technicalities. He said that the Fiscal Office usually advised and or coached
the police on how to strengthen its cases against illegal-drug suspects.
Larubis further suggested that the council shall
institutionalize its advocacy campaign by creating advocacy team that regularly
visits communities, schools, and other avenues that is funded by CADAC funds
and supported by other agencies and organizations.