PHILIPPINE Drug Enforcement Agency-Western Visayas director Emerson Margate has urged the agents here not to be deterred by threats against them.
Margate said it is always expected that harm or threat will come their way because of the nature of their job.
“What we can do is to pray and ensure our safety at all times, without forgetting the primary objective of our job,” he added.
On August 3, 89 PDEA personnel in the region were transferred to PDEA-7 in Central Visayas following the killing of Earl Rallos, deputy chief for operations of PDEA-7, who was shot to death while driving his car in Cebu City last month.
Margate, who was previously the head of PDEA-Central Visayas, swapped posts with Wardley Getalla, former head the PDEA-Western Visayas.
Ninety-one personnel from PDEA-Central Visayas were also affected by the national revamp.
Margate said, “threats should not be the cause for them to quit their jobs.”
“As long as you’re doing what's right, there is no need for you to be afraid,” Margate said.
Margate assured that PDEA will continue to hunt down persons who are still engaged in the illegal drug trade.
Meanwhile, Margate said they have not received any advice from the national agency that Moises Padilla Mayor Magdaleno Peña is an adviser of the regional agency or the agency as a whole.
Margate said what they only knew was that Peña was a consultant of PDEA during the stint of former PDEA director general and now Bureau of Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña.
For his part, Peña, through his secretary, sent a document through email to SunStar Bacolod, claiming that he is designated as an adviser of PDEA.
In a letter dated August 8, 2017, Lapeña said Peña's contract as a consultant of the anti-drug agency has ended in July 2017.
But Lapeña also said in his letter, "your contract with this agency as a consultant shall no longer be renewed, but as an adviser, instead." (GYM/SunStar Bacolod)