DILG eyes anti-drug councils’ review

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced Friday that it will conduct its annual audit of 1,716 local Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (ADACs) to evaluate their performance in 2024.

In a statement, the agency said that the audit will cover ADACs in 82 provinces, 149 cities and 1,485 municipalities, assessing their effectiveness and identifying successful strategies in the fight against illegal drugs.

The audit will review eight key areas: the re-establishment of local ADACs; the regular conduct of council meetings; the allocation of budgets for anti-drug programs; support for barangay-level committees; management oversight; efforts to clear barangays of drug influence; access to rehabilitation and reintegration services; and local systems for accountability.

Each audit team will include members from the Philippine National Police, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Dangerous Drugs Board and accredited civil society organizations to ensure a fair and objective process.

The audit will be conducted through the ADAC Functionality Monitoring System, a digital platform where local governments will submit reports and view their results.

ADACs will be rated on a 100-point scale: 70-100 points for High Performing, 51-69 for Moderate, and below 50 for Low Performing. Low-performing councils may receive technical assistance, and those with low scores for two consecutive years may face administrative or legal action. Top-performing councils, with scores of 80 points or higher, may be recognized for their excellence in innovation, consistent performance and reintegration efforts.