Police to barangay chief: Execute affidavit on "drug payola"

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Intelligence Branch Chief Romeo Santander is encouraging Calamba Barangay Captain Victor Quijano to submit a statement about what he knows of the drug trade flourishing in his village, especially on the personalities involved.

Santander said they have a list of names of top drug operators and policemen who have allegedly been receiving protection money from a big time pusher in barangay Calamba. But this list, Santander stressed, is for intelligence purposes and not for public consumption.

He added that even before Quijano raised the matter, they have been tracking down the pushers in the area.

He reminded Quijano to do his duties and responsibilities and to coordinate with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Department of the Interior and Local Government Memorandum Circular No. 2009-09, which is addressed to local chief executives and legislative bodies in all levels of government, stipulated the specific roles of local authorities in the effort to curb the use, sale, and manufacture of illegal drugs.

Former Interior secretary Rolando Puno also encouraged local governments to form anti-drug abuse councils while barangay captains are instructed to identify drug affected house clusters, work places, streets, puroks and sitios where delivery, sale or use of illegal drugs are being conducted and report these to the PNP or the PDEA.

Santander said his office has identified policemen who are possibly involved but he refused to divulge names.

“We are monitoring them before any investigation aron di sila mag-hunahuna nga giduot sila,” he said.

Last Tuesday, Quijano claimed that a huge amount of protection money is being collected by the police every week. Because of this, he said, a big time pusher in barangay Calamba is now financially drained.

Quijano added that because of this weekly payola for policemen, the drug pusher now owes a drug lord about P2 million, resulting in the confiscation of his properties.

Santander said progress reports about police officers involved will be sent to the Regional Internal Affairs Service of the Police Regional Office 7 for evaluation.

Meanwhile, five big plastic packs of illegal drugs amounting to P30,000 were seized by operatives of the CIB and the PDEA during a buy bust operation yesterday morning at sitio Mahayahay, barangay Calamba.

Arrested and detained in CCPO stockade was a 17-year-old from Calamba. He was under surveillance before the operation was carried out.

Right after the operatives handed the P1,000 buy-bust money, police immediately handcuffed the suspect.

The pieces of evidence were taken to the PNP Crime Laboratory for chemical analysis while appropriate charges are being prepared.  (FREEMAN)