New barangay, SK officials warned on drugs; grafters have to go – DU30
MALACAÑANG has congratulated the 19,756 newly elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials in the first elections held under the Duterte administration.
But investigations will continue against winners linked to illegal drugs, it said.
*** President Duterte warned two more Cabinet officials to resign or face ouster for corruption charges.
Stay clean or just go, Duterte warned anew.
*** Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said “The Palace wishes to congratulate all the duly elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials.”
“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.
***
But PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said in a press briefing the police will still conduct a case build-up against winners who are included in the drugs watch list.
“We will check this one by one if they have involvement in any illegal drug activities,” Albayalde warned.
*** 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 winner.
“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 added.
*** “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 said. Fair warning.
*** Albayalde said the PNP will work 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,” he warned.
*** .President Duterte has asked two department assistant secretaries to resign or else face dismissal over corruption allegations. Time to go, The Punisher said.
*** Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the resignations of Assistant Secretary Moslemen Macarambon Sr. of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Assistant Secretary Tingagun Umpa of the Department of Public Works and Highways have been sought by the President following an investigation conducted by the Presidential AntiCorruption Commission (PACC).
“The President has advised them to tender their resignation or face termination for corruption,” Roque said.
*** Roque said that based on the PACC probe, Macarambon has been allegedly “intervening on behalf of suspected smugglers of gold and other precious jewelry at the NAIA while Umpa has been accused of allegedly demanding kickbacks from contractors of projects in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The two denied the charges.
“Investigation conducted indicates they may have committed grave abuse of power or acts of corruption, among others,” Roque said.
***
Roque added that the President’s warning against graft and corruption and other wrongdoing should be strictly heeded by public officilas or Malacanang and the Ombudsman act accordingly.
Translation: Beware of graft! Public office is a public trust, not public trash.