P/Maj. Gen. Edgar Allan Okubo, the chief of the National Capital Region Police Office, said Friday he wants to keep Metro Manila barangays drug-free by letting policemen live in the areas they are patrolling.

Okubo said the government must not turn its back on barangays that have been reportedly cleared of illegal drugs.

“The problem with illegal drugs is they keep coming back,” he said. “We have barangay drug-clearing programs, declare a barangay cleared, and put users through a recovery wellness program.”

“Then we leave them behind. But under our Revitalized Police sa Barangay, our policemen live in the barangays and maintain the drug-free status of the area to ensure that it won’t be affected again,” he added.

The police official said he would seek the help of other stakeholders to make sure the barangays’ needs for government services are met.

He pointed out that the RPB program looks at what the people need in terms of government services and livelihood, then they are connected to other stakeholders like

non-government organizations so those needs can be met.

The Philippine Statistics Authority said Metro Manila has a population of almost 13.5 million people as of May 2020.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government launched last year its “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan,” or BIDA, program that aims to clamp down on the demand for drugs through communities.

The strategy is a complete turnabout from the strategy of the previous administration.