Complaint filed before the Ombudsman: 4 barangay officials linked to drugs

CEBU, Philippines - An unidentified complainant has accused four barangay officials in Cebu City of being protectors of drug lords.

Two of the four, Duljo-Fatima Captain Elmer Abella and Ermita Captain Felicisimo Rupinta, allies of former mayor Michael Rama, said the complaint is politically motivated.

Both denied the allegation with Rupinta expressing willingness to face investigation.

The Freeman is withholding the names of the other two pending their official statements.

The complaint, filed before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas on November 25, reads:

"During the time of Mike Rama (former mayor Michael Rama) as mayor for example, the main participants or puntos in cock derbies sponsored by barangay captain in Ermita, Pasil, Duljo, and Inayawan are drug lords. In Inayawan, there is even a cockpit at White Road. This only means the drug lords feel safe in protected barangays."

Abella told The Freeman that residents of Duljo know he is doing his best to fight the illegal drug trade in the barangay.

"Lisod basta sagulan og pamolitika tanan. Layo ra gyod na sa kamatuoran," he said.

Abella said the Team Rama officials already signed a manifesto supporting the current administration.

"Kun dunay moingon nga drug lord nga akoy gaprotekta nila, mo-resign ko isip barangay captain. But wala gyod moy nadunggan nga ni protekta ko. Daghan mi'g mga operasyon para mahunong ning ilegal nga drugas," he said.

The Ombudsman received the complaint last December 2, Friday. A copy was also furnished to the Office of the President to "appraise the president of the drug situation" in the city.

"Cebu City became the base of operations of five drug lords with influence going beyond the region during 2011 to 2016 which is within the tenure of former mayor Mike Rama," the complaint reads.

Rama has since denied allegations he is a drug protector.

The complainant said, though, that even if Rama is no longer mayor, his "political infrastructure" remains.

"When drug lords lose their protectors at the PNP, PDEA, and NBI, they are still hard to locate because of the support of barangay officials," the complaint reads.

The complainant said further that information that the barangay officials were "recruited" to the PDP Laban by Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino is a cause for concern.

"This is tantamount to giving protection to these erring barangay officials. I hope this effort would soon bear fruit in the dismantling of the narco-political infrastructure in Cebu City barangays," the complaint reads.

Dino's chief of staff, Jonji Gonzales, told The Freeman Dino will not wallow in "clearly low-level smear job to tarnish his name."

"It's a sad note that the black propagandist who drafted that mere scrap of paper in a failed attempt to utilize the Ombudsman for that foolish attempt to attack the PA for Visayas," Gonzales said.

Gonzales said they will do everything to "unmask" the complainant who is just out to smear Dino's name. — with Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon (FREEMAN)