Councilor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. assailed the City Council’s majority bloc for issuing a baseless press statement that the city’s major problem is illegal drugs and not traffic.
“I think the majority bloc’s statement published on October 1, 2016 issue of Sun.Star Pampanga, is totally irresponsible and a concrete insult to the programs and initiatives of the Honorable Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan as far as illegal drugs is concerned,” Lazatin said over the weekend.
Lazatin said Angeles City has only a total of 1,439 drugs surrendereers as per August 2016 data from the Angeles City Anti-Drugs Abuse Council (ACADAC).
“That comprises only .004 percent of the city’s total population,” Lazatin said.
Based on the May 1, 2010 Census of Population and Housing, Angeles City has a total of 326,336 population.
From 2011 to present, as per ACADAC, only 202 illegal drug users from Angeles City were confined and rehabilitated in the Central Luzon Drug Rehabilitation Center in Magalang Pampanga.
It was also reported in several local newspapers that three villages in the city are so far declared drug free. These are Barangays Salapungan, Cuayan and Margot.
“Sa kagustugan nilang mabanatan ako, iniinsulto nila mismo ang programa ng ating mahal na Mayor Pamintuan at ng ating mga masisipag na Barangay Captains. That is irresponsible and uncalled for,” Lazatin said.
He added “these data only shows that illegal drugs in the City is under control.”
During the October 11, 2016 regular city council session, Annaliza Suller, ACADAC officer-in-charge, revealed that the city has only 1,439 drugs surrendereers.
Lazatin filed a resolution asking the ACADAC to present its programs and accomplishments to the city council.
Councilor Jesus “Jay” Sangil requested Suller to furnish the City Council an updated report on the status of the 202 persons, who were confined at the region’s rehabilitation center.
Lazatin has vowed to support the programs of ACADAC especially in terms of funding support for surrendereers and purchase of drug testing and screening kits.
“If you can submit po since you assumed office kasi wala pa po akong nakitang mga report ninyo for us to study further on how we can help your office at kung may tingin po kayong kailangan niyo na resolution/ordinansa that could help your office please free to tell us,” Lazatin told Suller.
Lazatin added that “he is one with Mayor Pamintuan in the fight against illegal drugs. Especially in terms of information dissemination against the ill effects of illegal drugs.”
“Maganda po ang lagay natin sa laban kontra droga. Sa tingin ko po maganda at effective ang ginagawa ni Mayor Pamintuan kaya ka-isa po niya ako,” Lazatin said.
Lazatin, who is on his second term, is a member of the city council’s minority bloc along with Sangil.