NUMBER OF PANGASINAN DRUG-AFFECTED BARANGAYS UP

DAGUPAN -- The 167 drug-affected barangays in Pangasinan in 2002 had been
reduced to 30 barangays in 2003.

But in the joint revalidation of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
(PDEA), the Pangasinan Provincial Police Office (PPPO) and the Provincial
Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operation Task Force, there were some barangays
that have been cleared before have been affected again by illegal drugs.

"The drug-affected barangays have increased from 30 to 68 now," said Chief
Insp. Christopher Abrahano, provincial officer of the PDEA.

Abahano however said the drug situation in Dagupan City is relative.

He said there are many drug personalities in the city compared to other
places, "but this is an unfair comparison."

The PDEA officials cited the need to consider the big population of the
city and its ratio or proportion to the number of drug personalities in the
city.

"What this means is that Dagupan and Urdaneta City are highly-urbanized
cities and the volume of people in these cities are so many, so it is
proportionate seemingly to the number of drug personalities," he said.

Abrahano moreover said if one would look into the number of operations and
arrests conducted by the Dagupan police, it is at par as compared to other
towns and cities in Pangasinan.

The supply of illegal drugs in Dagupan and Pangasinan, as validated by the
PDEA, comes from the National Capital Region, Region III and IV.

"Like in Mangatarem, where we had neutralized some drug groups (including
the Punzal group), we saw in our investigation that their drug supply comes
from Camiling, Tarlac," he said.

He also said they have not monitored any drug laboratory existing in the
province and that the drugs being dropped in the province are not for
consumption in Pangasinan.

Abrahano said while the drug personalities they have been monitoring were
in Barangay Pantal and at the Muslim area in Bonuan in Dagupan, "there is
now marked improvement, unlike in the past when drug selling had been rampant."

He said if PDEA does not conduct operations in central Pangasinan, it moves
to eastern Pangasinan, especially Urdaneta.

"There are many hotels, restaurants and other establishments in the area
where they could transact illegal business. So we are conducting
surveillance and monitoring operations in the areas traversed by the
national highway," he said.

As to possible illegal drug operation inside jails in the province where
some notorious drug personalities are detained, Abrahano said PDEA regional
director Antonio Valle instructed him to closely coordinate with the
rehabilitation centers in the province.