CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 4A has started monitoring and double checking their watchlist if there are barangay officials engaged in illegal drug activities after the arrest of an incumbent town village head in Imus, Cavite, last week.
“We are constantly reviewing and scrutinizing our list of personalities and politicians particularly the local officials who are suspected to be involved in pushing drug. As of now there are no local officials who are contenders in the approaching barangay polls on Oct. 25, who are in the drug watchlist, except, the one who was nabbed in Cavite,” PDEA4A regional director Randy Pedroso said.
Pedroso told reporters that the anti-drug force arrested an incumbent barangay chairman identified as Jerry Dominguez, of Barangay Palico IV, Imus, Cavite during the search operation.
He said the PDEA4A operatives confiscated from the suspect six pieces of heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets of suspected dangerous drugs (shabu) inside Dominguez’ two-story concrete house along the compound of Palico Daanan, Imus, Cavite.
The police armed with search warrant issued by Judge Amor Reyes of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 21 swooped down on suspect’s house at around 4 p.m. Saturday.
Pedroso said Dominguez is seeking for re-election as town village chief this coming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan poll when he was arrested by anti-drug forces. –