430 village chiefs on drug watchlist

AROUND 430 barangay officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs are now being monitored by the Philippine National Police (PNP) – and many of them are in Western Visayas, top cop Gen. Benjamin Acorda said on Thursday.

Acorda said some of these village officials are included in the PNP’s list of high-value individuals and street-level Individuals in the war against drugs.

At the same time, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. called on those who want to run in the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) this October to take a drug test.

“One of the biggest problems is drugs. Maybe you should take a drug test. Show us that you are ready to serve. I am calling out to all candidates,” said Abalos.

By doing this, the Department of Interior and Local Governments chief said, the candidates can significantly contribute to the “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan” or BIDA program, the revitalized anti- drug advocacy campaign of the government.

As for the village leaders, Acorda said: “They are subject to intelligence operations. We are hoping that this will be reduced in the coming days. Hopefully, those involved would eventually stop. If not, they will be subject to police operations.”

The PNP chief told reporters this on the sidelines of the launch of the BIDA program in private sector workplaces in Quezon City.

Acorda said these barangay officials have varying involvement in illegal drugs, where some are pushers, some are protectors, and others are financiers.

“But based on our update, there are more or less 430 barangay officials (involved in the illegal drug trade), many of them are in Region VI (Western Visayas),” he added.

Acorda urged the public not to vote for candidates who are involved in illegal drugs.

“I want to take this opportunity to appeal to voters not to consider candidates, who have involvement in illegal drugs, to become our next set of barangay officials,” the top cop stressed.