THE Office of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said City Information Office (CIO) head Jefry Tupas has resigned but was also terminated from her post after being involved in a drug raid last Saturday, November 6, in Mabini, Davao de Oro.
“Last Sunday, Jefry signified her resignation and on the same moment she was informed that she is terminated from work with the City Government of Davao,” the city mayor’s office said in a statement on November 9.
The City did not further provide information as “the details of the raid are known only to the PDEA [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency] officers in Davao de Oro and Ms. Tupas.”
Prior to her resignation, Tupas, in a message forwarded to the media late Monday evening, November 8, confirmed that she was at the beach party in a resort in Barangay Pindasan, Mabini, Davao de Oro on Saturday, November 6, wherein P1.5 million worth of party drugs was confiscated by law enforcers.
Tupas confirmed her presence before the raid, which resulted in the arrest of 17 individuals for possession of illegal drugs.
“I was there because like the other guests, I was invited. But I left right after dinner with my boyfriend and another friend,” the information officer said.
This is in response to allegations that she was among those arrested from the beach party.
Tupas did not provide additional information and deactivated her Facebook account following the incident.
Tupas served as CIO head in 2016. Prior to serving in the government, she was a journalist both in local and national media.
The PDEA-Davao seized several drug paraphernalia such as ecstasy, shabu, marijuana, LSD party drugs, and liquid ecstasy during the raid.
Authorities recovered 26 packs with dried marijuana leaves, weighing about 200 grams and worth P24,000.
Also recovered were three sachets of substance believed to be shabu, weighing 10 grams and with a market value of P150,000.
Several drug items were also confiscated, including 722 party drug tablets/capsules worth P1,227,400, nine plastic bottles containing liquid party drugs worth P15,000, two vials of suspected liquid party drugs worth P17,000, 77 tablets of suspected LSD worth P130,000, and seven bottles of energy drink.
PDEA-Davao Director Aileen Lovitos confirmed in a radio interview that some of the 17 arrested individuals come from prominent families in Davao City.
She did not, however, give further details as to how many of the 17 apprehended are from Davao City and how many of them are children or relatives of well-known personalities, saying investigation is ongoing.
She assured the public, though, that there would be no special treatment for them.
"Kami sa (We at the) PDEA, we will do our job to implement the mandate. Trabaho lang (We are just doing our job), and we will not choose kung kinsa atong madakpan (who we will apprehend) because we do not have any information or personal information against them. Basta kami sa (On the part of) PDEA, we will do our part sa pag-implement aning (in implementing) RA (Republic Act) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act," Lovitos said.
Lovitos said the target personality was a 33-year-old from Catalunan Pequeño in Davao City, and four others.
PDEA-Davao spokesperson Noli Dimaandal told Superbalita Davao that the activity was reported by an informant, resulting in the conduct of the drug operation.
The operation was in partnership with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Unit-Davao Region, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-South Eastern Mindanao Regional Office, and Mabini Municipal Police Station.
The suspects are currently in the custody of the NBI.