■ BARANGAY CAPTAIN OF SANGI, TOLEDO CITY NABBED FOR ALLEGEDLY SELLING DRUGS

In the past two years, Eduardo Bacalso managed to elude arrest. But the former paramilitary member and barangay captain of Sangi, Toledo City’s luck ran out this month when he was finally taken into custody by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 for allegedly selling illegal drugs. PDEA 7 Director Yogi Filemon Ruiz described Bacalso’s allegedly involvement in the illegal drug trade as the “ultimate form of treachery.” The official said more barangay captains and village officials are engaged in the illegal drug trade. Bacalso, for his part, denied selling shabu, but admitted that he was a former junkie.

Sangi, Toledo City Barangay Captain Eduardo Bacalso became the first village official arrested this month by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 for allegedly selling illegal drugs.

PDEA 7 Director Yogi Filemon Ruiz said they had been trying to arrest the suspect in the past two years, but the former paramilitary member was elusive.

Ruiz described Bacalso’s alleged involvement in illegal drug trade as “ultimate form of treachery.”

“Gi-elect ka sa mga katawhan, motabang ka sa gobiyerno (You were elected by the people, you should help the government),” he said.

The official said more barangay captains and village officials are engaged in the illegal drug trade.

Operatives seized 105 grams of white crystals believed to be shabu worth P378,000 and a .38 revolver with five bullets from Bacalso, a high-value target of PDEA 7 and Cebu Provincial Police Office.

“He could be considered as untouchable because he has a network in the place and he has control over the barangay tanods. So every time the agents go there to conduct surveillance and casing on him, we find it difficult to get him because he already have a net- work,” said Ruiz.

Bacalso denied selling shabu, but admitted he owns the gun. He accused his enemies in politics as the ones who plotted his arrest. “My conscience is clean,” he said. The suspect, who admitted he was a former junkie, is reportedly an ally of a city official. The arrest of Bacalso is a lesson to all barangay officials, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) 7 said yesterday.

“If they continue with such operations, they risk losing their positions,” said lawyer Aisha Fiel Nogra, DILG 7 legal officer.

Nogra told reporters yesterday that while they have yet to receive the complaint against Bacalso, they can’t get themselves involved in it.

But if Bacalso is convicted of the crime, Nogra said the DILG could act on the matter provided that administrative sanctions are filed against him.

For now, Nogra said they’ve instructed the Toledo City Interior and Local Government office to facilitate the temporary assumption of the first village councilor as acting village chief.

PDEA caught Bacalso outside his residence during the buy-bust, but the latter said he was attending to his farm when he was caught. The suspect accused the operatives of planting the evidence on him, but Ruiz denied this.

An intelligence report, however, said the suspect is a pusher who can dispose of a kilo of shabu per week. The suspect’s supplier is reportedly from a jail facility in another place in Cebu.

Bacalso was allegedly uncooperative in the police’s drug campaign.

The suspect denied the accusation, saying he personally holds his own Oplan Tokhang.

The village chief was involved in shooting his brother, and several neighbors complained against him.