DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines – At least 18 elected local officials had been arrested for drug-related cases by operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in various parts of the country since Jan. 8 to May 27 this year.
Secretary Antonio Villar Jr., chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board, said the figure is based on a report dated furnished to him by Undersecretary Arturo Cacdac Jr., PDEA director general.
The report showed among of those arrested were a provincial board member in Misamis Oriental, a municipal councilor in Occidental Mindoro, a barangay captain in Midsayap, Cotabato, while the rest were village councilmen in Caloocan City, Catanduanes, Catbalogan City, Iloilo, General Santos City, Lanao del Norte and del Sur, Leyte, Marinduque, Northern Samar, Oriental Mindoro and Zamboanga Sibugay.
The report showed cases were filed against the officials.
Villar urged barangay officials to be the guardians against drugs and not as protectors of illegal substance.
He urged people to be cautious in electing their leaders in the coming barangay elections in October.