Two big universities in Negros Occidental are now under surveillance by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency as school opening nears after the monitored information that peddlers are planning to circulate illegal drugs to their students.

PDEA Region 6 Plans and Operations chief, Intelligence Officer 3 Cerilo Baluma, however, refused to name the universities and their locations.

He also said that, aside from these universities, eight other public and private schools in the city and in the province have been closely monitored by PDEA since last year for alleged sale of marijuana and shabu within their campuses, Baluma said.

Illegal drug dealers are exploiting the students, who are mostly minors and are protected by Republic Act 9344 and can not be charged in court.

He said marijuana remains more in demand in these schools compared to shabu as it is cheaper, and students can buy a stick for P15 to P20, while a small sachet of shabu costs P500.

To curb the proliferation of illegal drugs in school campuses, Baluma said PDEA is conducting symposiums to emphasize the ill effects of illegal drugs on the students.

Baluma urged parents and the academe to help them in the drive against illegal drug use among the students, which, he said, also causes some of them not to finish their studies.

PDEA-Negros Occidental cannot fight illegal drugs alone as they only have at least ten organic members, that is why the participation of the community is being encouraged, Baluma said.*APN

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