ILAGAN CITY, Isabela, April 23 (PIA) – The provincial government of Isabela in coordination with thE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 2 has conducted a one-day anti-drug summit in the province last week aimed at strengthening the linkages of government agencies and the different sectors in the fight against illegal drugs.

Retired police chief superintendent Jimmy U. Rivera, acting vice chairman of the Isabela anti-illegal drugs task force, said the anti-illegal drugs summit aims to integrate government resources to effectively carry out the anti-illegal drugs program in Isaabela.

Rivera said the local chief executive has signed Executive Order 2012-16 last year to strengthen the programs and projects and to end the drug menace in Isabela.

Rivera clarified that the creation of the Isabela Task Force on Illegal Drugs would not mean that the province has uncontrolled drug menace but merely to integrate the resources of government agencies and other sectors in the fight against illegal drugs.

He said the illegal drug situation in the province is not so alarming and the summit aims only to integrate the resources of government agencies to effectively carry out anti-illegal drugs programs, projects and activities.

He said the task force wants to involve actively all government law enforcement agencies, community and re-strengthening of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (BADACs) to effectively fight illegal drugs proliferation in the whole province of Isabela.

There will also be conducted information drives in schools, barangays and to out of school youth in Isabela as an activity to fight illegal drugs in Isabela.

The Task Force members includes the student body organization officers in high schools, colleges and universities in Isabela, Sangguniang Kabataan, police, the province’s interior and local government, education, justice, liga ng mga baranagay, Isabela Volunteers Against Crime (IVAC), Integrated bar of the Philippines – Isabela chapter, social welfare and development office, and provincial legal office.