NAGA CITY — Police declared 11 barangays in Camarines Sur province “drug-cleared” following a regional oversight assessment, bringing the total number of cleared villages in the province to 679.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) Region 5 announced Wednesday that the villages met the standards set under the Barangay Drug Clearing Program and Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 4, Series of 2021.

The formal declaration occurred Tuesday during a Regional Oversight Committee meeting at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session Hall at the Camarines Sur Capitol Complex.

Newly declared villages include Inoyonan and Ombao Polpog in Bula; San Francisco and San Antonio Quipayo in Calabanga; Handong in Libmanan; Alianza and Tagpocol in San Fernando; and Sagrada, San Roque, Olag Pequeño and La Purisima in Tinambac.

Bicol police reported that 229 barangays in the province remain classified as drug-affected.

To earn drug-cleared status, the Dangerous Drugs Board requires the absence of illegal drug supplies, drug infrastructure and active drug personalities, alongside functional community-based intervention programs.

In a separate operation in nearby Camarines Norte province, joint police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency teams arrested three suspected high-value drug targets during a Wednesday afternoon buy-bust operation in Daet.

The 1:49 p.m. raid in Barangay IV led to the dismantling of a suspected drug den and the arrest of its alleged maintainer, identified by police as “Pongpong” along with visitors “Asma” and “Chochok.” “Pongpong” and “Chochok” reside in Daet, while “Asma” is from Basud.

All three suspects remain in PDEA custody pending further investigation.

In other developments, PNP Bicol welcomed its new chief at a turnover and assumption ceremony in Camp Brigadier General Simeon A. Ola in Legazpi City in Albay province on Thursday.

Police Brigadier General Glenn Guiriba Silvio, a member of the Philippine National Police Academy “Kapanalig” Class of 1997, officially assumed office as the 45th Regional Director of PNP Bicol. The ceremony was presided over by PNP deputy chief for Operations Police Lieutenant General Wilson Joseph Lopez.

Silvio succeeded Police Brigadier General Erosito Miranda, who is now officially retiring from the police service.