37 Albay villages still illegal drug hot spot

By Mar S. Arguelles LEGAZPI CITY --- Despite the intensified anti-narcotics campaign in Albay anti drug operatives have yet to clear at least 37 villages affected by illegal drug operations in the 15 towns and three cities of the province, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Albay said today. Police Senior Inspector Arthur Gomez, Albay PNP spokesperson said that of the 105 villages in the province affected by the illegal drugs operations about 68 villages were cleared while 37 villages are still under evaluation by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the town/city Anti Drug Abuse Councils. Gomez said villages not yet cleared by the PDEA are 16 villages in Legazpi City, 7 in Tabaco City, 6 in Guinobatan, 3 in Oasa, 2 in Daraga and one each in the towns of Pio Duran, Sto Domingo and Ligao City. While the 105 villages that were previously identified and recently cleared by the PDEA and MADACS villages in the towns to Tiwi, Malinao, Malilipot, Bacacay, Rapu-rapu, Manito, Camalig, Jovellar, Polangui, and Libon.