Drug abuse: Son of mayor, vice mayor surrenders

MANILA, Philippines - Sons of mayors and other local officials suspected of involvement in the illegal drug trade have surrendered as President Duterte’s war on drugs continues.

The son of newly elected Mayor Vincent Unite and Vice Mayor Violeta Unite of Ballesteros town in Cagayan was among 40 drug users in the municipality who surrendered to the police.

Police Sr. Insp. Stanley Banan said King Unite also signed a memorandum of undertaking to cooperate with Ballesteros police in identifying the members of a drug syndicate operating in their town.

Banan said the young Unite is a former drug user and not a drug pusher, contrary to the statements of political opponents of his parents.

Among those who promised to assist authorities is Arnulfo Uclos, one of the top 10 drug personalities of the town. He was arrested in a drug sting in Barangay Mabuttal, Ballesteros in 2012.

Uclos is out on bail. He has two brothers, barangay chairman Edmund Uclos and Willy Uclos, who are both suspected drug users. They have also surrendered.

Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba challenged other elected officials from barangay to Congress, including all government workers in the province, to undergo drug testing. He set an example by volunteering to undergo a drug test to show that he is serious in his fight against illegal drugs.

In Presentacion town in Camarines Sur, municipal councilor Elias Deleña and former municipal councilor Boy Relleta, both suspected drug users, surrendered to the police.

Councilor Deleña is a relative of Mayor Jaime Deleña, while Relleta is the son of former mayor William Relleta.

In Binmaley town in Pangasinan, 51 suspected drug users and pushers surrendered yesterday to Mayor Simplicio Rosario and the town police.

Rosario assured them that he would help them in their rehabilitation by referring them to the government-owned Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Dagupan City.

But he said their surrender is not a guarantee that they are already off the hook for whatever violation of the law they may have committed. The police would check on them through weekly monitoring with drug test.

Meanwhile, Department of the Interior and Local Government-Central Luzon director Florida Dijan said she was not aware of any mayor in the region involved in the illegal drug trade.

“We have no list of any mayor being implicated in illegal drugs,” Dijan said, adding that the President must have other sources of information.?Earlier, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald de la Rosa said the information that 23 mayors are involved in the drug trade was from verified intelligence reports received by the President. He also noted that illegal drugs pass through both seaports and airports in Central Luzon. ?Central Luzon accounted for the second highest number of suspected drug dealers killed. From June 27 to July 3, 31 were killed by the police in the region, after Calabarzon and Mimaropa where 43 were killed. ?Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino, regional PNP officer-in-charge, said there are also at least 100 policemen in Central Luzon suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.

Jacildo said the regional police are still awaiting instructions from “the hierarchy” on what to do with the 100 cops. “Cops who are mere users can surrender and undergo rehabilitation. Later they can still assume their police position, but they will have to be monitored because of the possibility of relapse,” he added.

Samar lawmaker, gov cleared of drug links

Meanwhile, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) yesterday cleared Northern Samar Rep. Edwin Ong and his uncle Gov. Jose Ong of involvement in the illegal drug trade.

Laurelfel Gabales, director of PDEA Region 8, admitted that anti-narcotics agents could not find evidence linking the Samar lawmaker and governor to drug trafficking.

The PDEA in Eastern Visayas has been receiving reports about the Ongs’ alleged links to drug trafficking. This prompted Gabales to mobilize anti-illegal drugs agents to verify the information

“Actually, the reports surfaced before the May 9 election. And based on our verification, the Ongs are not involved in illegal drugs in Northern Samar. We find no evidence linking the two politicians to drug trafficking,” he said.

Last week, the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas accused congressman Ong of being the “biggest drug lord” in Northern Samar and that he is being supported by his uncle, the governor.

The NDF statement was published in its website and distributed to media outlets in Eastern Visayas, apparently in response to the call of President Duterte for the communist group to help him in his campaign to rid the country of drug trafficking. – With Eva Visperas, Non Alquitran, Ding Cervantes, Victor Martin, Celso Amo, Francis Elevado