THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Thursday vowed to go after 60 barangay officials who have won in the barangay election, but are in the narco list.
In a radio interview, PDEA chief Aaron Aquino said “win or lose, we will continue still to file charges against them,” referring to PDEA and the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s list of 90 barangay chairmen and 117 barangay councilors involved in the illegal drug trade.
“Secondly, we will continue to conduct monitoring activities, buy-bust operations and [the [implementation of] search warrants on them. Thirdly, we will ask the Philippine National Police to conduct Operation Tokhang on those who won and even on those who lost [in the recent barangay elections],” he said.
Of the 207 barangay officials in the narco list, 36 punong barangays and 24 councilors have won, he said.
“I have told regional directors to start filing cases against those in the drug list by next week,” he added.
He said the release of the narco list divulging the names of the barangay officials involved in illegal drugs was able to guide voters on who to support.
“I think the list was successful, otherwise 90 percent or 100 percent of those in the list would have won,” he added.
He claimed that several candidates used drug money to fund their campaign.
“There was massive vote buying using drug money,” he said.
“They paid voters P300 each voter, and even P20,000 per family,” he said.
Aquino called on DILG Secretary Eduardo Año to file cases against barangay officials who have not taken any actions to fight the drug problem amid the activation of their barangay anti-drug abuse councils.
“I am asking DILG why charge only those who have not activated or reactivated their barangay anti-drug abuse councils, and why not also charge those who have their own councils but have not done anything,” he said.
Meanwhile, the PDEA arrested a re-elected barangay chairman during the implementation of a search warrant in Purok Narra, Barangay Malasila, North Cotabato last May 16.
Aquino identified the suspect as Melvin Fortajada, 48, who was nabbed by PDEA Region 12.
The suspect yielded shabu worth P20,400 and three pieces of .45 caliber live ammunition.