[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading tag=’h3′ padding=’10’ heading=’PDEA links 10 WV village chiefs to illegal drugs’ color=” style=’blockquote modern-quote’ custom_font=” size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ custom_class=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=”]
INSERT DATE HERE!
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
ILOILO City – Ten barangay captains in Western Visayas are involved in illegal drugs, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 6.
Assistant Regional Director Levi Ortiz declined to identify the 10 but he said they were considered high-value targets.
Ortiz admitted PDEA-6 was having a hard time pinning these barangay captains down but he stressed these suspects would certainly be subjected to antidrug operations at some point.
Some of these barangay captains have relatives involved in drug trafficking, some receive payola or protection money from drug personalities and others got financial assistance in past barangay elections, said Ortiz.
Last year, PDEA-6 counted over 50 barangay captains with illegal drug links. But Ortiz said non-stop antidrug operations forced many of these officials of stop their illegal drug activities.
“Takot na mahuli kaya bumaba na lang ng sampo based on our latest validation,” said Ortiz.
In Iloilo City, Senior Superintendent Remus Zacharias Canieso recently disclosed that the police were investigating three barangay captains for possible involvement in the illegal drug trade. He said they were related to suspected high-profile drug personalities.
The village chiefs were Remia Prevendido Gregori of Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao district, Keith “Dabing” Espinosa of Barangay Monica-Blumentritt, City Proper and Noemi Jablo of Barangay Desamparados, Jaro.
Gregori is a sister of suspected drug lord Richard Prevendido who is still at large while Espinosa is the wife of the No. 2. suspected drug personality in the City Proper, Jesus “Jingjing” Espinosa Jr. who is detained at the Iloilo District Jail in Barangay Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo.
Jablo’s husband Rasty was a suspected drug pusher who took a child hostage in General Santos City and committed suicide in his detention cell there last year.
Just this Tuesday, however, the Sangguniang Panlungsod cleared Barangay Captain Jablo of illegal drug links.
“We mentioned these three names…kay open naman sa public nga may mga himatâ sila nga involved sa illegal drugs,” said Canieso./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
