BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio Leonardia has asked a top official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Western Visayas to determine the identity of the village chief in the city who was allegedly involved in illegal drugs.
This, after President Rodrigo Duterte, in his speech Saturday at the Bacolod public plaza during the 39th MassKara Festival, revealed that a barangay official here is allegedly engaging in drugs.
The country’s top chief executive warned the village chief to stop his illegal activity or leave the city. “Pumunta ka doon sa Spratly, doon ka maliligo araw-araw. Umalis kayo dito, lumayas kayo. 'Pag hindi, I'm telling you now prangka-prangka, I will destroy you. Magkaintindihan tayo diyan,” Duterte said.
(Go to Spratly, you take your bath there every day. Get out of here. If you won’t, I’m telling you now straight, I will destroy you. Let us agree on this)
Leonardia said on Monday he already talked with the PDEA-Western Visayas assistant regional director along with Senior Superintendent Francisco Ebreo, acting director of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO).
Leonardia said as of yesterday, they have not yet identified the village chief and they considered it a “very sensitive matter.”
“I’m waiting for further information about the identity of the village chief because we cannot make a speculation. I am appealing that whoever he/she is, the statement of our President is very clear, if you are that person, you better run for your life,” he said.
He added the PDEA and Philippine National Police (PNP) will also review their list because sometimes, the list of PDEA may not be the same with the PNP.
For her part, Councilor Lady Glez Gonzales, president of Liga ng mga Barangay, said the President did not reveal the name of the village chief so maybe it’s a sort reminder to them as a village chief to fulfill their duties, especially on Barangay Drug Abuse Council program as well as the national illegal drugs campaign.
She said they will hold a Badac meeting on November 8 with the village chiefs and she will coordinate with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Validation
Right now, the BCPO is validating the reports on the alleged involvement of a village chief here on the illegal drug trade.
Ebreo, in a press briefing yesterday, said they have been validating reports even before the President made the pronouncement on Saturday.
“Hindi natin puwede isawalang bahala yun. (We couldn't just ignore it),” Ebreo said.
He, however, said that the report received by the president did not come from the BCPO.
We all know that he (President) has lots of sources, Ebreo added.