22 more village officials added to drugs list

FROM 11, the number of village officials on the illegal drugs list has increased to 33 with the inclusion Thursday, May 3, of 22 more incumbent village officials.

Wilkins Villanueva, regional director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Northern Mindanao (PDEA-10), said the validation phase is almost complete and it will be forwarded to the national office.

Villanueva said those on the narco-list will be divulged soon in public.

Of the first 11 in the list, three are from Iligan City, seven from Ozamis City and one from Misamis Occidental. Three are barangay chairmen and eight, village councilors.

"After the validation, papasok itong 22 sa PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) list so definitely ire-reveal pa din namin ito. Almost all have already been validated," Villanueva said.

Of the 22, four are in Misamis Oriental, three in Cagayan de Oro, eight in Bukidnon, five in Lanao del Norte, and one each in Camiguin and Misamis Occidental.

Villanueva said the 22 village leaders have been reported to be engaged in illegal drug activities either through selling, coddling or protecting drug personalities in their locality or dereliction of duty for failure to take action on the illegal drug problem in the barangay.

He said many on the list are seeking reelection in the May 14 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

However, Villanueva said they were uncertain on whether the 22 more officials included in the “narco-list” would be made public before the elections.

"Halos kompleto na ang validation, testingan nato basin makaapas ta ani sa May 14," Villanueva said.

(Our validation is almost complete. We will try to finish this before May 14.)

Villanueva said those who failed to take action on the illegal drug problem will be charged administratively for dereliction of duty.

The top official of PDEA-10 explained that the validation is comprehensive and conscientious.

"We go to the area and ask the locality at yung mga previously arrested namin nagsasabi na ito yung mga nagpo-protect sa kanila. Magtatanong din kami sa police at sa other intelligence units. Next is the conduct of lifestyle check," Villanueva said.

Villanueva is urging the voters to diligently pick village leaders who will pursue the government's desire to get rid of dangerous drugs and drug personalities in the community.

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