TARLAC 'DRUG SPOTS' NOW DOWN TO 31 BARANGAYS

CAMP MAKABULOS, Tarlac City-Only 31 out of the 510 barangays in this
province remain affected by the trade in illegal drugs, but Senior
Supt. Angelo Sunglao, the provincial police chief, vowed on Tuesday to
clear these affected areas "by the end of the year."

Sunglao assured that the 31 remaining barangays are now the target of
an intensified police operation to finally rid the province of the
drug menace.

Since January, Sunglao said the illegal drug trade has been
"eliminated" in at least 18 barangays that were earlier tagged as
either "affected" or "threatened."

He explained that 134 of the province's 510 barangays were considered
"affected" by the drug menace in July last year. Barangays are
classified as "threatened" with the mere presence of "at least one
drug pusher" in the area.

The 134 affected barangays, however, was reduced to 49 by the end of
2003 owing to the massive anti-illegal drug campaign launched by the
PNP and local government units, Sunglao said.

This, Sunglao noted, has earned the province the reputation of having
"the most active anti-illegal drugs campaign among the provincial
police commands in Central Luzon."

Furthermore, in more than 60 anti-illegal drugs operations carried out
by the police during the first half of 2004, Sunglao disclosed that 84
drug pushers were arrested, which led to the clearing of the 18
barangays here.

He also noted that during this campaign, 23 suspected illegal drug
dealers and dependents voluntarily surrendered and submitted
themselves for rehabilitation at a facility in Central Luzon.

In a related development, Sunglao disclosed that a member of the
provincial police command was recently dismissed from the service
after a random drug test among law enforcers here found him to have
used methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu.

The police, identified as Police Officer 3 Rolando Torres, is now
facing charges of illegal drug use apart from the cancellation of all
benefits due him