PDEA names local officials in new narco list

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) disclosed Monday that a former barangay chairman from Coron and an incumbent official from Balabac have been included in President Rodrigo Duterte’s new “narco list.” PDEA- MIMAROPA regional director Mario Ramos said Monday they are currently gathering additional evidence against Pistoh Akin Hamja, the chairman of Mangsee, Balabac, and Anthony Clifford Pe, the former chairman of Poblacion 3, Coron, who have been included in the drug list. “Mahabang proseso kasi ‘yan, at kailangan pa natin ng karagdagan na ebidensya at dokumento bago magkaroon ng kaso,” he said on Monday in an interview with Palawan News. Ramos said the new narco list is a mix of 207 suspected drug pushers, users, and protectors, 117 of whom are barangay kagawads (councilors) and 90 are barangay chairmen in various areas of the country. He said they will wait for the result of the validation before the local PDEA “makes any move.” Hamja and Pe were named after the PDEA earlier announced it will release the drugs list two weeks before the May 14 synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections as approved by Duterte. Meanwhile, Ramos urged all barangays in the city and province to activate the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) which shall give assistance to law enforcement agencies in the eradication and clearing operations of illegal drugs. “Kung hindi sila kikilos ay hindi rin talaga matitigil ang droga kasi hindi rin ‘ yan kakayanin ng mga agencies. Pwede silang makasuhan kung hindi nila pinapatupad ang mga bagay na minamandato sa kanila,” Ramos said.