DILG: 100 barangay execs on narco list reelected

More than 100 barangay officials included in the drug list of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) received fresh mandates in the recent elections, an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said yesterday.

DILG Undersecretary for barangay affairs Martin Diño said nearly all of the 115 barangay officials of the 207 government officials in the PDEA narco list were reelected.

Among the few who lost is Alvin Mañalac, chairman of Barangay Tinajeros in Malabon City, where PDEA discovered a shabu laboratory last month, he said.

Diño explained it was unacceptable for Mañalac to claim to be unaware that a clandestine shabu laboratory was present in his area.

He said the barangay officials who were reelected despite their alleged involvement in illegal drugs will be closely monitored by the DILG and the Philippine National Police.

Diño added they will file charges against local officials who will not report the presence of illegal drug activities in their area.

Another option is to conduct lifestyle checks on the officials, starting with those in Metro Manila.

“We will have their SALNs (statements of assets, liabilities and net worth) checked especially here in Metro Manila,” Diño said.

He added that he was disappointed with the results of the elections as the exercise only showed that drug money was used in vote buying. He received reports that some voters sold their votes for P500 to P3,000.

“They have chosen these candidates for money,” Diño said in an earlier phone interview.