140 DRUG-AFFECTED VILLAGES IN NEGOCC 'CLEARED'

Senior Supt. Vicente Ponteras Is Hopeful That 80 To 90 Percent Of The
Drug-affected Villages In The Province Will Be Cleared Before The Year Ends

OVER a hundred drug-affected barangays have been cleared of illegal drugs
out of the 201 drug-affected barangays in the province, disclosed Senior
Supt. Vicente Ponteras, provincial police director.

Ponteras said 140 barangays received clearance, and he is hopeful that
before the year ends, they will be able to clear 80 to 90 percent of the
drug- affected villages in the province.

Ponteras revealed 70 percent of the drug supply in Negros Occidental comes
from Bacolod City, while the rest of the supply comes from Cebu and Iloilo.

He added that in the national perspective, the province, to include
Bacolod, has been categorized as primarily a consumer market for illicit drugs.

At present, although the drug menace has been put in check due to
relentless police operations, drug users continue to exist, admitted Ponteras.

He said there are no known clandestine laboratories for shabu in the
province. However, minor plantations of marijuana have been discovered.

A total of 30 pieces of full-grown marijuana plants in Ilog, and another
six in Bago City, were uprooted. Two kilos of dried marijuana leaves were
also recovered in a remote barangay in Bago City, said Ponteras.

"On the local perspective, Bacolod City remains to be the main distribution
point of drugs through the province's major seaports and the airport,"
Ponteras also revealed.

Drug groups

The provincial police office also managed to neutralize five drug groups
operating in the province.

They were the Ledesma Group, with the arrest of their leader Alexander Abas
and two of his members; Magbanua group, operating in Bago last September 3,
with the arrest of their leader Rolly Magbanua and member Aileen Chetelac,
marijuana and shabu pushers; Guiron group operating in La Carlota, with the
arrest of their leader Gilbert Gioron and four of his members; Canlunsag
group operating in San Carlos with the arrest of Randy Calunsag and two of
his members; Duhaylungsod group, with the arrest of its leader Jose
Duhaylungsod and his son at Barangay 4 in San Carlos. CCD