THE DRUG REHABILITATION CENTERÂ is a long overdue project. The Philippines has trillions in the National Budget. The budget of the Judiciary has finally been increased.The Department of National Defense has seen the same, Â The Health Department has one of the highest budgets in the national hierarchy.
Any of these departments can allocate a portion of their budgetary allocation for the purpose of building a Drug Rehabilitation Center in Bohol.
The Judiciary Department can justify it because the rehabilitation of criminals is one of the pillars of the justice system. The others include the apprehension, conviction, jailing and finally the absorption of the criminals into mainstream society.
The Department of National Defense can justify it as the part of the permanent long-term goals to prevent criminals into recidivism.
The Department of Health can justify it as an instrument to improve the mental disposition of drug criminals into a rehabilitated stage.
Rep Rene Relampagos has lamented the fact that 70% of the crimes committed in the province are drug-related. PNP Provincial Head Agustin has stated that most of the recent violent incidents in the province were mostly drug-related.
That the province still does not have a drug rehabilitation center seems to belie the supposed Priority One focus on drugs in the general order of battle. We enjoin the provincial government  under Gov Edgar Chatto and the three congressmen that they bundle their brains together such that this facility will be made into a reality,pronto!
The one we heard about  is in Baclayon town where one Nestor Pestelos and some NGOs are putting the initial stages to make this  rehab center into a reality. We enjoin other NGOs and the government of Baclayon led Mayor Alvin Uy to give this a serious thought  and not another ningas cogon  that get dissipated in the air after public political mileage has been generated by its mere announcement. The twin sister companies,namely, station dyRD and The Bohol Chronicle hereby vow our unremitting commitment to help this project.
Let us be serious about this undertaking. If we are not, people will suspect that all these plots and sub-plots are just engineered  merely to aid public support and good image of certain personalities. In other words it is just public relations gimmick.
The horrors of drug usage are evident in many vehicular incidents. It leads to violence and counter-violence. Drug addicts beg,steal and borrow, Some of them steal from their own families. Other prostitute other family members to support their drug addiction. Many times, family members themselves are being raped and murdered by even close kins under the influence of drugs.
It is a heinous crime. Likewise, the illegal possession of firearms is another serious matter because drug gangs are equipped to maintain turf and fight the authorities,
The provincial PNP took part in the “One Time Big time” crusade to rid the province of drug element  and collared two men per town  for possible prosecution. The shabu yield in total was only miniscule that some people are suspecting they are just hitting certain quota every month . Will there be convictions?
The lightning raid done by a crack NBI time in just one day netted some P 5-M in drugs. But there seems to be a lack of resolute filling of cases against the suspects as we heard. This is bad news and Boholano NBI head Atty Virgilio Mendoza must step in- and step in big  so that these raids are not concocted  fort just “for media consumption”.
The disparity in the value of the NBI raided drugs and those of recent vintage has also been put into question,
While there is enough action and debate on the “supply side” of the drug equation, not much has been done to police the “demand side”.
One of the concerns is to rehabilitate these offenders so they stop being a menace to society after serving their jail terms.
One of the bets answers is to have our own rehabilitation for drug abuse, That center needs full time educators and psychologists to bring sanity to their mindset.
Let us not dilly-dally,A Panglao international airport is necessary but so is the erection of such a center.
For comments: email to dejarescobingo@yahoo.com or bohol-rd@mozcom.com