AT least seven barangay officials and workers in four Cebu City barangays were allegedly coddling drug personalities.
In an interview, Councilor Dave Tumulak said he had the chance to talk to some of the drug personalities who were arrested in the latest police operations last week and some of them revealed names of barangay officials and workers.
“These people who are allegedly involved in illegal drugs are reportedly protected in the sense that they’re neighbors, or they attend parties together and became acquaintances with these barangay officials and workers,” Tumulak said.
The arrested drug personalities disclosed that barangay councilors with nicknames Inggo, Owik, Boboy and Cris and barangay tanods Alo, Fred and Dammy are indirectly protecting them.
Perception
“According to the drug suspects, these people knew that they’re into illegal drugs but they never reported them to the police. So, the perception of the public is that they are protector,” Tumulak said.
The development, however, are all still allegations and are pending verification from the police.
To clear out the names of the barangay officials and employees, Tumulak encouraged the public to report to the police suspected drug personalities in their barangays.
Law enforcers
Tumulak also urged the police to disclose to the public the names of drug protectors who had been named by drug suspects, particularly law enforcers, politicians and barangay officials and workers.
Tumulak said police can always ask the suspects to name their protectors publicly.
While they support the war against illegal drugs, Tumulak said barangay officials and workers should also submit themselves to random and surprise drug tests to let the public know they are drug-free.
Records from the Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (Cosap) showed that only five out of the 80 barangays of the city underwent to surprise drug testing from January up to this month.
These are Labangon, Apas, Mambaling, Mabolo and Buhisan.
Eight barangay workers out of 300 who underwent the surprise exam tested positive for illegal drug use.