31,000 barangay chiefs may face charges over drug councils

MANILA, Philippines — Incumbent barangay captains who have failed to organize functional Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (BADACs) will face administrative charges.

Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Eduardo Año therefore urged barangay officials to organize their BADACs.

DILG undersecretary for barangay affairs Martin Diño said they expect documents from 31,000 barangay chairmen who have yet to submit their reports on BADAC composition and accomplishments to be submitted soon.

“If barangay leaders refuse to organize their BADACs or fail to activate their BADACs, they could face administrative charges from the (Department of the Interior and Local Government),” warned Año.

Año challenged barangay chairmen to prove their commitment to rid their communities of illegal drugs by forming and activating their BADACs.   

“Prove that you are one with President Duterte’s war on illegal drugs. Activate the BADAC in your barangay,” Año said in Filipino.

Año said BADACs ensure that there is a convergence of efforts among barangay leaders to carry out the anti-illegal drugs campaign on the community level.

Based on reports from the DILG’s National Barangay Operations Office, 94 percent or 39,417 of the 42,036 barangays nationwide have organized their BADACs. Of the 39,417 compliant barangays, 86 percent have organized their auxiliary teams. However, only 61 percent have formulated their BADAC Plan of Action.

The BADAC is composed of the punong barangay as chairman and the Sangguniang Barangay member who is the head of the peace and order committee as vice chairman. Its members include the SB member who is the head of the committee on women and family; Sangguniang Kabataan chairman; public school principal or his or her representative; executive officer or chief tanod (peace and security officer) and one representative each from a faith-based organization or a non-government organization. 

Serving as BADAC adviser is the city or municipal chief of police or his or her representative.

For his part, Diño expressed belief that if barangay chairmen did their part in addressing the illegal drugs problem, the sale of shabu would not be rampant.

He suspected that barangay chairmen who failed to organize functional BADACs might be involved in illegal drug activities.

Diño said a legal team has been created to investigate the failure of the barangay chairmen, adding that incumbent barangay officials would be charged if they failed to establish their BADACs.

“Even if their term is over,  we will not hesitate to charge them,” he said.  

As this developed, senators backed yesterday calls to release to the public the list of barangay officials with alleged links to the illegal drug trade before the barangay and SK elections next month.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said the so-called narco list should be made known to the public so those in it will have the chance to clear their names “if they are interested in doing that.”

Pimentel told reporters the release of the list to the public is actually “fairer” to all concerned rather than keeping it a secret and then it is used by ‘enterprising’ people for extortion activities.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said he sees merit in either making public the list or keeping it under wraps.– With Paolo Romero, Cet Dematera, Sheila Crisostomo