DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said the municipal councilor who was arrested for having a "pot session" inside a market stall in Bankerohan Public Market, Davao City was a member of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP).
Duterte-Carpio, who is the HNP founder and chairperson, said in a radio interview on Monday, June 15, that Cipriano Ponce Sarona, 53, municipal councilor of Kiblawan, Davao Del Sur, will now be expelled from the party.
The mayor said that based on the information she received, Kiblawan Mayor Carl Jason Rama said he will remove Sarona from the line-up.
According to Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Director Police Colonel Kirby John Kraft, the councilor, who has been tagged as a high-value target (HVT) by authorities, was arrested with two others on Saturday, June 13.
Butch Eltagonde Amarillo (HVT), 38, a contractual driver (job order) of the Municipality of Kiblawan, and Archie Napoles Truya, 31, a mango harvester, resident of Purok 6A-1, Barangay Los Amigos Tugbok, Davao City, were also arrested.
Kraft said Sarona is a businessman in Davao City wherein he is involved in mango wholesaling, which is why he has a stall at the Bankerohan market.
Recovered from the market stall were shabu and other drug paraphernalia.
The three drug suspects are currently facing cases for violation of the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
The mayor said the councilor's arrest is a warning, not only to ordinary individuals but also to government officials who are involved in illegal drug trading and other activities.
"This serves as a warning sa tanan nga dili lang mga gagmay-gagmay, kanang naa sa kilid-kilid ang mga ginabantayan sa atong kapulisan, with regards sa drug activities diria sa atoa kon dili tanan nga klaseng drug personalities [ang] ginapursue sa atong Davao City Police Office (This serves as a warning to not only those small scale users but also all sorts of drug personalities with regards to drug activities, which the Davao City Police Office is strictly monitoring)," Duterte-Carpio said.
Sarona is the latest government official apprehended in Davao City.
On May 27, kagawad of Barangay Bunawan, Davao City identified as Roque Bosque III was arrested by authorities on Wednesday morning, May 27, during the implementation of a search warrant in Kilometer 23, Purok 10, Barangay Bunawan, Davao City for possession of illegal drugs and illegal firearms.
Kraft said the suspect was also reported to be involved in an anomaly on the distribution of cash aid under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP).
HNP was founded in 2018, to support President Rodrigo Duterte's government.
Duterte-Carpio had been previously vocal on removing members who will be involved in illegal activities.
The mayor, in 2019, reminded candidates running under the Hugpong ng Pagbabago-Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod alliance that they will be removed from the slate if they will be found guilty in paying the New People's Army's permit-to-campaign extortion scheme.