DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan –The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Monday revealed the names of 12 barangay officials in Ilocos Region who are allegedly involved in illegal drug trade.
PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino, in a press conference Monday, named the Pangasinan barangay officials as Amado Japson, barangay chairman in San Jose, San Nicolas; Roger Navasca, barangay kagawad in Poblacion East, Agno; Eduardo Ramones and Raywald Obra, barangay chairman and kagawad respectively in Ambabaay, Bani; Genaro Camorongan, barangay kagawad in Beleng, Bayambang; and Marlon Serrano, barangay kagawad in PNR Site, San Carlos City.
Records show that Japson has been arrested on March 29, 2016 due to his involvement in an alleged private armed group and has been removed from office since then. Serrano, meanwhile, is a reformist who has undergone several trainings for surrenderers, according to his family.
PDEA and the Department of Interior and Local Government will file cases against the listed barangay officials one or two weeks from now.
Lawyer Marino Salas, provincial election supervisor in Pangasinan, in an interview with Philippine News Agency (PNA) Monday, said said barangay officials could still run in the elections as the law prohibits only convicted individuals to run for office.
“They are not yet convicted, so they can still run for public office,” Salas said.
In Region 1, aside from the six barangay officials in Pangasinan, four barangay officials from Ilocos Sur and two from Ilocos Norte are also on the list.
From Ilocos Sur are Chris Conrad Navarro, barangay chairman in Poblacion, Sta. Catalina; Jefferson Fajela, barangay kagawad in Baliw Daya, Sta. Maria; Alfredo Monta Sr., barangay kagawad in Poblacion Sur, Salcedo; and Palmie Susa, barangay kagawad in Naglaoa-an, Sto. Domingo.
While in Ilocos Norte, Roxy De Guzman, barangay kagawad in Cabaroan, Piddig and Alejandro Lenin, barangay kagawad in Poblacion, Nueva Era were also in the list. (PNA)
