New Barangay, SK officials congratulated; probe of those with drug links underway
Malacañang congratulated the newly elected Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials following “relatively peaceful and orderly” elections last Monday.
But the Philippine National Police (PNP) vowed that an investigation is underway for winning candidates in the government drug watch list.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque also thanked the public for helping ensure that the recent barangay and youth elections, the first under the administration, were peaceful and orderly.
“The Palace wishes to congratulate all the duly elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials,” Roque said during a Palace press briefing.
“This is the first democratic electoral exercise under the Duterte administration, and we thank everyone for the full support in cooperation in ensuring that the 2018 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections had been relatively peaceful and orderly in all regions of the country,” he added.
PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde, in a press briefing at the National Election Monitoring and Action Center (NEMAC) at Camp Crame, said police will conduct a case build-up if there are candidates in the drugs watch list who were among the 92,756 proclaimed winners as of Tuesday morning.
“We will check this one by one if they have involvement in any illegal drug activities,” Albayalde said.
The PNP chief said he has already ordered the Police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) and the regional drug enforcement units to look into the profile of the proclaimed winners and determine if they are in the watch list.
Once validated, Albayalde said, they will conduct a case build-up against the proclaimed winners who are in the watch list.
“If needed, we can always conduct a ‘Tokhang’ (knock and plead) operation. They are not entitled to some kind of protection even if they win in the elections,” he explained.
“If they want to surrender as early as now, better. But like what I've said, they can always subject themselves for adjudication. If they don't, then we can always conduct an operation,” Albayalde added.
Winners with drug links One of the winners who is in the government drug watch list is incumbent Barangay Bagong Lipunan ng Crame (Quezon City) kagawad Noemi Agcaoili.
In an earlier interview, Agcaoili said she had the full support of her constituents who told her that they would pray for her.
“Should I win, I’ll be happy as this means a lot believe that my name is untainted. And I want to emphasize that my name is clean and I will safeguard the integrity of our team and my family, Agcaoili said in Filipino.
Agcaoili had also attended a drug test among barangay and SK candidates in Cubao Police Station (PS-7), but the result has not been disclosed.
She also said that she was planning to file charges against the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for false claims.
Other officials with drug links that won in the barangay elections were Barangay Chairman Remia Prevendido Gregori of Bakhaw village, who got re-elected; Noel Odicta of Tanza-Ezperanza village, who was elected kagawad (councilor); and Keith “Dabing” Espinosa who was reelected barangay chairman of Monica Blumentritt village.
Gregori is the sister of slain suspected drug lord Richard “Buang” Prevendido, who was killed by policemen after allegedly resisting arrest last year.
Odicta is the brother of slain suspected drug lord Melvin “Boyet” Odicta Sr., who was killed by still unidentified gunmen.
Espinosa is the wife of Jesus “Jingjing” Espinosa Jr., who is allegedly linked to the Odicta drug group.
The three village officials had earlier denied any links to drug activities of their family members.
But incumbent Barangay Tinajeros (Malabon) Chairman Alvin Mañalac was not as lucky, losing to his councilman Ryan Geronimo by 1,065 votes.
On Friday, PDEA filed criminal and administrative charges against Mañalac before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly failing to report the ecstacy laboratory in his barangay which was raided by the operatives last April.
“Alvin Mañalac being a punong barangay (barangay captain) miserably failed to join the government in its crusade to fight illegal drugs,” the PDEA said in its complaint.
Albayalde said they will be in close coordination with the PDEA, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the National Youth Commission (NYC).
“Our intelligence gathering will play a vital role because the PDEA cannot do it alone. They rely so much on us in terms of evidence and intelligence gathering,” he said.
He, however, stated the PNP will not involve the Commission on Election (Comelec) anymore since their participation has been “finished” upon the proclamation of the winners.
Campaign materials With the elections over, the Comelec reminded candidates to take down their campaign materials.
“Since they are the ones that put them up, it is also their responsibility to take them down,” Comelec Commissioner Luie Guia said in a press briefing.
He admitted that there is no law requiring candidates to bring down their campaign posters.
But Guia said candidates could be held accountable for illegally placed campaign materials.
“We could look at possible violations of local ordinances, especially for those illegally placed campaign posters... that is where they could be held accountable,” he said. Cops, teachers commended Albayalde lauded the more than 180,000 cops who rendered election duties around the country but reminded them the election period is far from over.
“I am personally satisfied with the outcome of all election security operations by PNP units,” said Albayalde in a press briefing.
A total of 181,212 cops were deployed on the field to render election duties.
Albayalde, however, reminded the men on the ground to continue guarding the polling precincts where the canvassing of votes and proclamation of winning candidates are still being conducted.
In fact, he said that up until Tuesday morning, a total of 1,404 policemen deployed as members of the Board of Election Tellers were under strict instructions to remain in their assigned posts until after all election activities were completed and election materials returned to local Comelec authorities.
Cops who acted as Board of Election Tellers were fielded in areas where extreme violence are usually observed during elections leading to the backing out of teachers from their duties as watchers, Albayalde explained.
The said areas include parts of Mindanao such as Sulu, Basilan, Maguindanao, and Lanao del Sur.
Albayalde reminded policemen that the election period will run until May 21, or one week after the actual election date on May 14.
Likewise, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday commended thousands of teacher-volunteers who “gallantly served” in the elections.
Lawyer Marcelo Bragado Jr., DepEd ETF Operations and Legal Support Head, thanked the public school teachers who served as members of the Board of Election Tellers.
“We thank our teacher volunteers who have gallantly served during this 2018 local elections,” he said. “DepEd will continue to serve and safeguard the welfare of our teacher volunteers in future elections,” he added.
DepEd also congratulated all volunteers – both teaching and non-teaching personnel – who “heeded the patriotic call to serve in the elections.”
Act now, DILG told
Meanwhile, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III urged the DILG to immediately file charges against more than 1000 government officials, including congressmen, who reportedly engaged in vote-buying during Monday's elections.
“Kilos na lang ang DILG. Kung meron talaga silang ebidensya, magfile na po sila ng kaso (The DILG should just act on it. If they have evidence, please file charges against these government officials),” Pimentel said.
DILG Undersecretary Martin Diño had earlier bared that some 1,000 elected barangay captains were found violating Comelec rules, including vote-buying, during the May 14 village polls.
Diño said there were 100 lawmakers from the House of Representatives who allegedly meddled and pushed their constituents to vote for their bets.
Pimentel said the Senate need not look into the allegations, but instead called for an “immediate action” from the DILG. (With reports from Alexandria San Juan, Kate B. Javier, Tara Yap, Ina H. Malipot, and Vanne P. Terrazola)