Tiñga in-law, 2 others arrested for drugs

MANILA, Philippines - Three people – including an in-law of Taguig Rep. Sigfrido Tiñga – were arrested for allegedly peddling P290,000 worth of shabu to undercover police officers in Taguig City Saturday night.

Elisa “Ely” Tiñga, 53; Andrea Escalante; and Daniel Datinggaling were arrested in Ely’s house on Kalayaan street in Barangay Ususan at around 8 p.m., according to Senior Superintendent Tomas Apolinario Jr. They reportedly sold 17 grams of shabu to members of the Taguig police’s anti-illegal drug unit.

“We have received reports that people go in and out of her house, which serves as a shabu store in that barangay,” Apolinario said after a press briefing.

In a separate interview, Ely said her husband Manuel “Noel” Tiñga is a first cousin of the congressman. She denied the charges and said her arrest was “political persecution.” The congressman’s father and incumbent Mayor Laarni Cayetano are political rivals.

Apolinario said Ely is reportedly one of the top three drug dealers in Ususan, where the illegal drug trade is the most rampant.

Cayetano, in a statement, said she commends the Taguig police for “their continued efforts in bringing drug pushers to justice. The city hall said Ely is the seventh Tiñga arrested for drugs since 1996, starting with Hector Tiñga.

“In January 2007, the Southern Police District announced the arrest of Bernardo Tiñga for drug pushing. Months later, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency caught Fernando, Allan Carlos, and Alberto – all surnamed Tiñga – on similar charges. The following year... Joel Tiñga fell in the hands of authorities,” the city hall said.

Meanwhile, the congressman said he was unfazed by the report, which he said comes out “whenever elections are coming... The Cayetanos are good at putting out press releases.”

He said that in Taguig, “a couple of murders happen every week. But they’re not reported because they’re too many.” He added that he hopes that the Cayetanos “work on stopping crime” rather than putting out press releases.

He said he has never protected any of his relatives from prosecution if they have run afoul of the law. – With Paolo Romero