PDEA to join Pogi in clearing AC of drugs

• Source:https://punto.com.ph/pdea-to-join-pogi-in-clearing-ac-of-drugs/
• Wednesday July 3, 2019

By Ashley Manabat

ANGELES CITY – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) will extend its resources to ensure all 33 barangays here will be free from illegal drugs.

This was the statement of Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. as he announced the full cooperation of the PDEA in clearing 31 out of our 33 barangays here which are drug-affected.

“Angeles City is lucky enough that one of its daughters and my father’s most trusted personnel was appointed Chief of Staff and Acting Deputy Director General for Administration of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the lead agency in President Duterte‘s war against illegal drugs,” said Lazatin.

“Director IC Calaguas, my good friend and confidant, has promised that she will extend the resources of PDEA to ensure that all 33 Barangays of Angeles City will be drug-cleared,” he added.

Calaguas will also assist in the setting up of the Balay Silangan Reformation Center, a community-based reformation center for drug pushers, Lazatin said.

“We will reform drug offenders and reintegrate them back as productive members of our society,” he explained.

Three PDEA agents are now currently training personnel in establishing the Sagip Batang Solvent Reformation Center in Angeles City, which will be the first center outside Metro Manila, said Lazatin.

“Through this center, we can now rid and clean our streets of children sniffing solvents or rugby boys and, at the same time, we can reform them and save their lives and future,” he pointed out.

The PDEA will now have a satellite office in the city hall compound and will provide operational support to crack down on illegal drugs, he said, as he warned drug pushers that they no place in Angeles City.

“Not under my watch,” he declared, as he reaffirmed his support to President Duterte’s war against illegal drugs.

Meanwhile, a mandatory drug test will also be conducted on all city hall employees and those who test positive will be dismissed and given proper intervention.

“By addressing the problem of illegal drugs, we are actually addressing our problems on peace and order since 70 percent of crimes are drug-related,” said Lazatin. “I ask each and every responsible citizen to join me in our crusade to make Angeles City drug-cleared through our collective and continued vigilance.”