ILOILO City — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Western Visayas has sounded the alarm on what it described as a dangerous culture of silence in communities, warning that public inaction is fueling the illegal drug trade — even as barangay officials themselves are being arrested in anti-drug operations.
The warning comes amid a string of arrests involving village officials across the region, with authorities seizing millions of pesos worth of suspected shabu, underscoring what police described as an “alarming” trend.
DILG Region 6 director Juan Jovian Ingeniero said the problem goes beyond enforcement, pointing to the public’s reluctance to report drug activities as a major obstacle in the government’s anti-drug campaign.
“’Yun po ang problema sa atin. Number one is community. Alam niyo ba ang ibig sabihin ng walang pakialam? ‘Yun tayo eh, we see na merong nangyayari but we don’t report. Walang pakialam. Alam mo na kaibigan mo nagdu-droga. ‘Yung kagawad. Pero ‘di mo nire-report. Tapos sasabihin mo na kagawad ang problema? Pati siya (someone who doesn’t report) problema,” Ingeniero said.
He stressed that the long-standing “see no evil, hear no evil” attitude must end.
“When you know a barangay official is involved in illegal drug activities and you choose not to report it, you, too, are complicit in the problem,” he added.
Amid the growing concern, the DILG is pushing for mandatory and surprise drug testing for all barangay officials and personnel as part of efforts to establish drug-free workplaces across Western Visayas.
“As far as DILG concerned, hanggang dito lang po ang aming maitutulong. Ang aming mandate is to capacitate, oversee. Doon sa mga problematic na barangay, as chair ng anti-drug abuse council, we are advocating na mag-conduct (drug testing) sa bawat barangay. Mandatory. Lahat ng tanod at ‘yung mga mataas na officials. Unannounced,” Ingeniero said.
The campaign, in partnership with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), has already been piloted in Balasan, Iloilo, which has emerged as a model for implementing drug-free workplace policies.
However, Ingeniero admitted that funding remains a major challenge.
“Medyo mahal din po kasi mag pa-test,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) backed the DILG’s call, describing the involvement of elected barangay officials in illegal drug activities as deeply concerning.
PRO-6 regional director Josefino Ligan said law enforcement operations will continue regardless of a suspect’s position.
“Yes, alarming — most especially,” Ligan said during a press conference.
“On the part of the PNP, as mandated through our mission, if there is a crime, we need to solve it. ‘Yun ang gagawin natin. We will continue to conduct law enforcement operations to those people involved,” he added.
Police reported that at least three barangay officials — including a village chief, a kagawad, and a Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairman — were among those arrested in separate anti-drug operations in Iloilo Province.
Authorities said more than P5 million worth of suspected shabu was seized in a series of operations, including a February 20 buy-bust in Barangay Ardemil, Sara, Iloilo, where an SK chairman identified as alias “Mar,” 26, was arrested and tagged as a high-value individual.
Earlier, on February 15, an incumbent barangay captain was arrested in Barangay Bondulan, San Dionisio, Iloilo, where more than P1.5 million worth of suspected shabu was recovered after nearly two years of surveillance prompted by reports from concerned citizens.
In a separate operation in Barangay Licu-an, Dingle, Iloilo, police arrested four individuals — including a former police officer and an incumbent barangay kagawad — and seized around 320 grams of suspected shabu valued at over P2.1 million.
Despite these operations, authorities warned that the fight against illegal drugs will remain difficult unless communities take a more active role.
The DILG emphasized that breaking the culture of silence is crucial in dismantling drug networks, stressing that public vigilance and cooperation are key to restoring integrity in local governance and ensuring safer communities./PN
