3 ‘NARCOS’ IN CEBU?

Cebu City Mayor Osmeña not convinced by absence of any barangay official from the city in list PDEA revealed on Monday Congressman Durano seeks review, points out errors in one listing in Danao City: no such person in barangay or police drug lists

3 from Cebu on PDEA’s list: Ramonette Durano, who was described as an ex-barangay captain of Suba, Danao City and now public information officer of Danao; Bibiano Cabaron, ex-barangay captain and now municipal councilor of Ronda; and Marc Ferdinand Bas, ex-barangay captain of Lagtang, Talisay.

Three from Cebu are among the 207 former or current barangay officials the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) linked yesterday to illegal drugs, as part of efforts to dissuade voters against supporting “narco-politicians.”

But two officials, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano VI, raised questions about some information on the list.

The three from Cebu on PDEA’s list are Ramonette Durano, who was described as an ex-barangay captain of Suba, Danao City and now public information officer (PIO) of Danao; Bibiano Cabaron, ex-barangay captain and now municipal councilor of Ronda; and Marc Ferdinand Bas, ex-barangay captain of Lagtang, Talisay. Bas, son of Talisay City Councilor Arturo Bas, was caught by the Provincial Intelligence Branch operatives on April 16 last year for alleged possession of guns and ammunition.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said it was President Rodrigo Duterte him- self who ordered the release of the list.

“The information is being released to help guide our voters to choose wisely their village captains. It would now be up to the voters,” Roque added.

While describing the list as an “added weapon in our government’s arsenal in the fight against illegal drugs,” Congressman Durano urged that the list be verified at the local level.

“Ramonette Durano” does not appear in the Barangay Suba drug list, the address was erroneously written and “its unwarranted appearance on the national list is suspect,” Durano said in a statement. Neither is there a PIO in Danao City by that name.

Durano said there was a previous PIO named Ramonette Cynthia D. Mahinay, who was a barangay captain until October 2013 and who gave “valuable contributions to the campaign against illegal drug activities” in Danao City.

“I am confident that Ramonette can prove her innocence, and I believe she deserves to be accorded her constitutional guarantee to presumption of innocence,” the congressman added.

For his part, Mayor Osmeña was surprised that no barangay official from the city was on the list PDEA made public.

“In the case of one barangay, all of them, even down to the last councilor (are involved in illegal drugs). The one on top is involved, the ones below saling pusa (are kibitzers), not necessarily or directly (engaging in illegal drug trade),” he told reporters.

The mayor refused to name the barangay, though.

Association of Barangay Councils President Phillip Zafra said that the development has dispelled allegations that there are barangay officials in the city who are involved in illegal drugs.

Police Regional Office 7 Director Chief Supt. Robert Quenery said the list has been validated by the PDEA, the PNP, and the intelligence unit of the Armed Forces.

“And the next thing that we heard with this validated report, the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) will come up with a case against them, which is yun naman talaga ang patutunguhan (where this is all headed),” Quenery said.