The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has vowed to eliminate the illegal drug trade in 24,000 villages across the country by 2022. The PDEA chief said assistance from the Philippine National Police (PNP), local health offices and local social welfare offices was imperative in clearing the villages of drugs. The National Capital Region (NCR), Aquino noted, has the highest rate of village “drug-affectation” with 95.37 percent. The regions least affected by illegal drugs, meanwhile, were the Bicol Region at 16.59 percent and the Cordillera Administrative Region at 0.68 percent, the PDEA chief added. If we can sustain the pace, we can rid the country’s drug problem by 2022 and maintain the drug-free status,” Aquino said.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer March 01, 2018 07:52 UTC