24 drug surrenderers in San Carlos graduate from drug rehab

AT LEAST 24 drug surrenderers of Barangays Quezon and Codcod in San Carlos City graduated from the 90-day community-based rehab called Kinabuhi Angay Ampingan Bag-Uhon Alang sa Ginoo (KAABAG) at Brgy. Codcod covered court on February 28, 2020.

Punong Barangays Danilo S. Lastimoso of Codcod and Roberto Tuting of Quezon thanked the city government and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for the beneficiaries of their areas who got into the Kaabag rehab program and for their barangays which were recently declared drug-cleared by the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

One of the graduates of the program said that the hardest part of being in the program is how to gain back the trust of people. He was very thankful that they were given the chance to change and reform their lives thru the Kaabag program so they can live normally again and be useful in the society.

San Carlos City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (SCCADAC) staff Mitos Vepinoza said that since 2016 KAABAG graduates reached 285 where 34 were under the plea-bargain agreement with the court.

Out of the 18 barangays in San Carlos City only five were declared as drug-free barangays including Barangays Nataban, San Juan, Ermita, Codcod and Quezon.

The Kaabag is a community-based rehabilitation program funded by the city government of San Carlos and in joint partnership with the religious sector thru the SCCADAC that runs for two-years providing a 90-day rehab program and an after care of 9 months by the City Social Welfare and Development Office. It started in 2016 which caters to the suspected individuals involved in illegal drugs that surrendered and voluntarily submitted to the program. It is the local government’s answer to the call of the national government regarding the problem on illegal drugs. (PR)