Barangay drug list bared

THE PHILIPPINE Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is set to file charges “in a week or two” against 207 barangay captains and councilors identified in a list released Monday as those involved in illegal drugs.

“PDEA will be filing cases against the personalities in the list. While we have at hand pieces of evidence against them, PDEA is continuously conducting case buildup for the case to be airtight,” PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino said in a press briefing on Monday.

The list, bared before the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections on May 14, consisted of 90 village chiefs and 117 barangay councilors.

A total of 70 names came from the Bicol Region, followed by the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) with 34 names, and Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with 13 names.

In the National Capital Region, there are 12 names in the narco-list but Mr. Aquino noted there are more in PDEA’s watch list.

Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) chief Catalino S. Cuy said the list was released to guide voters.

“It is very important that the public, the voters, are aware doon sa mga kandidato na iboboto nila (of the candidates they are voting for). And may we call on our voters to be vigilant and choose properly ‘yung mga

iboboto (who they will vote for),” Mr. Cuy said. Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Officer-in-Charge Secretary Eduardo M. Año said the Commission on Elections will be furnished a copy of the list.

Mr. Aquino earlier said the narco-list was validated by PDEA, the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA). “We ensure that the case is airtight and nandoon lahat ‘yung ebidensya (all the evidence are there). When you say validation, parang kino- confirm mo lang ‘yon (it is like you are simply confirming it). It’s a confirmation that, indeed, those barangay officials are involved in illegal drugs. But it doesn’t mean na andoon na lahat

ang ebidensya (that we already have all the evidence),” Mr. Aquino said.