TWO village officials in Negros Occidental are under the monitoring of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Western Visayas.
PDEA-Western Visayas spokesperson David Garcia, in a phone interview with SunStar Bacolod on Tuesday, November 14, said there were reports about the involvement of many village officials in illegal drugs, but these two were confirmed to have drug links, based on their validation.
Garcia pointed out that both officials cannot be placed yet on the official drug watchlist because they are also inactive in the illegal drug trade.
He said the two officials are considered to be high-value target drug personalities because they are working in the government.
Garcia said PDEA is continuously monitoring the links or involvement of government officials in illegal activities.
He urged the public to help the PDEA by reporting individuals engaged in illegal drugs.
In November 2016, then PDEA-Negros Island Region arrested former Barangay 35 captain Manuel “Maui” Huelar Jr. in a drug bust with two others inside a pension house in Barangay Singcang-Airport in Bacolod City.
He was charged for sale and possession of illegal drugs after he yielded two sachets of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu.
Huelar is detained at the Metro Bacolod District Jail -Male Dormitory in Barangay Handumanan.
Last week, about 500 village officials in Bacolod attended a two-day orientation conducted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on the revised guidelines of the Mamamayang Ayaw sa Anomalya, Mamamayang Ayaw sa Iligal na Droga (Masa Masid).
Discussions included the strengthening of Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia told the barangay officials that the orientation is not just a social gathering, but part of their duties and responsibilities as public officials.
“If we continue to improve on this, we also expect that our system will improve, our people will improve, and our lives will also improve,” the mayor said.