ILOILO CITY — The release of names of barangay officials allegedly linked to illegal drugs will help voters come up with a well-informed decision this May 14 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls.
“It’s now time for them to decide; you are given this opportunity once every three years only,” said Atty. Ferdinand Panes, director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Iloilo City on Monday.
At the end of the day, if the people decide to still vote for them, then that’s already their will, he said.
Panes said what is important is the national government was not remissed in informing the public of those who have alleged involvement in illegal drugs.
He added since they are disqualified from running, then the decision now lies from the public.
Panes believed that voters in this city are mostly professional and intelligent. They are also well-informed because they are from the urban area and they are also surrounded by the critical media.
Panes said the voters are now becoming “mature and sensitive on issues on governance” as they are also active in the social media.
He added what the national government has done through the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) “is for the benefit of our people”.
On Monday, PDEA revealed names of 207 barangay officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs, which include 117 barangay kagawads and 90 Punong Barangays.
Bicol Region registered the most number of barangay officials in the narco list with 70, followed by the Cordillera Administrative Region with 34 and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with 13.
Western Visayas, whose two drug lords were already killed, has one Punong Barangay included in the list by the name of Gemma Calzado of Kasing-Kasing, Molo in this city.
Calzado, 53, is now on her last term and has filed her certificate for candidacy as barangay kagawad in the May 14 polls. (Perla Lena/PNA)
