ILOILO CITY — Two local chief executives of Iloilo province, who were once included in the drug list of President Rodrigo Duterte, are now members of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
Mayors Alex Centena of Calinog and Mariano Malones of Maasin were among the more than 4,000 local officials from Iloilo’s third district who took their oath before PDP secretary-general and House of Representatives Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Thursday.
The House Speaker said he took their word when they said that they are not involved in illegal drugs. However, he said he will check his copy if these two mayors are still on the list.
He added that he will talk to them should he find their names still on the list.
The town of Maasin was declared free of illegal drugs by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Western Visayas on July 13 last year.
Of Maasin’s 50 barangays, 18 were affected by hard drugs when the President’s campaign began. The town also yielded 47 drug surrenderers in the “Tokhang” operation.
Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. said “the government does not issue a formal clearance” to mayors already cleared from the President’s drug list.
Defensor recalled asking Alvarez during their talk in Manila prior to their oath-taking if he would allow the two mayors tagged as “narco-politicians” to take their oath with the party.
“He told me that he will call back in two days as he will still check the latest list of the President because he said he has a copy,” he said.
He added that two days later, the staff of Alvarez called him and said “that Mayor Malones and Mayor Centena were already cleared and were no longer included in the list”.
Defensor expressed his confidence of the confirmation.
In a text message relayed through information officer Dave Garcia, PDEA regional director Wardley Getalia said his office has not received official communication clearing the two chief executives from the narco-list.
“We still have an ongoing validation,” he said.
Another mayor in the President’s narco-list, Mayor Siegfredo Betita of Carles town, was also present during Thursday’s ceremony but did not take his oath. (/PNA)
