Barangay execs who surrendered found negative of drug use

CEBU, Philippines - At least seven barangay officials in the northern town of Sogod accused of using and selling illegal drugs have surrendered to authorities.

 However, the surprise drug test conducted Monday on all elected officials yielded negative results, according to Ivy Durano-Meca, executive director of the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office.

 Six of the seven officials who surrendered are barangay councilmen and one is a barangay captain.

 Meca refused to divulge who these officials are.

 Sogod Mayor Lissa Marie Durano-Streegan said these officials surrendered to police last year through Oplan Tokhang, a government nationwide anti-drug campaign that calls on drug dealers and users to surrender voluntarily or be hunted down by the police.

 The mayor said she only knew last week that these officials have already surrendered, prompting her to summon all of them Monday.

 “Gipatawag nako sila yesterday (Lunes) and we conducted a drug test and, so far, negative silang tanan, but they voluntarily surrendered through the police,” Streegan said.

 The mayor also refused to disclose their names and barangay.

“I cannot suspend them based on that… I cannot do anything base on the kuan because pag-surrender nila, pag-conduct nako og drug test, negative naman,” Streegan said. (FREEMAN)