FREELANCER: Arresting drug suspects, rehabilitating users

We visited a friend at Smart Communications to personally follow up our previous feedback regarding the status of their network’s connectivity issue at the vicinity of San Juan-Gonzaga and Gonzaga-Araneta streets, particularly at Plaza Mart at downtown Bacolod.

We learned that installation of additional facilities in such area, and in few other spots in the city, will happen very soon so that Smart and TNT users will no longer have difficulties connecting.

We are set to also visit another friend at Globe Telecom for the same concern.

THE DAILY ARRESTS OF DRUG PERSONALITIES IN BACOLOD AND OTHER PARTS OF THE PROVINCE only show growing public support in the fight against illegal drugs.

The City Drug Enforcement Unit and the entire Bacolod City Police, the other police stations in Negros Occidental, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency are, indeed, doing their job. Definitely no deaths, and no Ninja cops around.

While dealing with personalities peddling illegal drugs is the primary concern of the police, there must be a group composed of government and even private groups that will actively deal with helping drug users get back to normal.

Drug rehabilitation must also be a major component in fighting illegal drug menace. We have encountered a lot of true stories on the success of the rehab program, so there is no reason not to boost it.

In our province, one major rehab center is the Negros Occidental Drug Rehabilitation Center (NODRC) based in Victorias City, being operated by the NODR Foundation. Although the center is getting help from various government and private groups, it needs more support to accommodate more patients and further improve its facilities.

On the other hand, families of patients we had the privilege to talk to said government support is nil. Of course, there is no such thing as free 6-month rehabilitation designed to liberate a user from drug dependency.

Many are willing to be rehabilitated, but their families cannot afford it, which means the government and other organizations must step in to assist for a more successful anti-drug war.*