Taguig councilor nabbed for drugs, stealing

A Taguig City councilor was arrested after authorities found several ecstasy tablets and various items belonging to a casino-hotel in Parañaque City in his possession.

Charges of illegal drugs possession and theft were filed against Councilor Richard Paul Jordan of the second district of Taguig before the Parañaque prosecutor’s office on Friday afternoon.

He is currently detained at the Parañaque police station.

According to Senior Insp. Anthony Alising, Jordan was about to exit Solaire Resort and Casino in Barangay Tambo at 7:40 p.m. on July 3, when security guards noticed he looked “dazed” and was carrying a  paper bag and a body bag.

During inspection, they found a small ziplock containing 32 orange and pink tablets, which the crime laboratory confirmed were ecstasy.

Taguig LGU speaks

Taguig City has released a statement noting that the “law should be allowed to take its course” on the case of the city councilor who faces charges of drug possession and theft.

“We do not condone his conduct,” the statement said of the councilor who has since resigned. “We commend those responsible for the apprehension.”

The city’s leadership puts its full trust on the government regarding the cases, the statement said. “The law should be allowed to take its course, and we expect nothing less than the firm implementation of the government’s hard line stance against illegal drugs.”

The national government’s approach to the drug menace has been effective in Taguig City, the statement further noted. In 2016, Taguig was No. 1 in southern Metro Manila in terms of the arrest of drug peddlers. It has also arrested, jailed and prosecuted drug personalities, including those in PNP’s Top 10 list.

During her administration, Mayor Lani Cayetano has led a campaign to end the notoriety of Taguig as an “illegal drug hot spot” that was mainly due to the extensive operations of the Tinga Drug Syndicate.

In 2017, a member of the syndicate, Elisa Tinga, was meted out reclusion perpetua and a substantial fine for selling illegal drugs. She is the seventh member of the Tinga Drug Syndicate nabbed by the authorities since 1996. She is the wife of Noel Tinga, reportedly cousins with former Taguig City Mayor Freddie Tinga.

“The case of the councilor is a timely reminder to us that the drug menace is real, and that it continues to exist in our midst despite the unrelenting campaign by the national and local governments,” Taguig noted. “This only proves that instead of going easy on the anti-drugs campaign, as being insisted by a misguided few, the government must remain focused on this fight against illegal drugs.”

Invaluable items

They also recovered from him various items belonging to Solaire worth P22,000, including a silver cork screw, a light bulb, a transparent glass, face towels, ashtray, bathrobes and an iPod dock.

Casino chips amounting to P50,000 were also found on him.

“Only a man high on drugs would steal such small, invaluable items from his hotel unit,” Alising said.

Alising also pointed out that Jordan should not be inside the casino as all government officials and employees were prohibited from casinos, as reiterated under Memorandum Circular No. 6 signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea in 2016.

In a statement, the Taguig local government said they would not condone Jordan’s conduct.

“The law should be allowed to take its course, and we expect nothing less than the firm implementation of the government’s hard-line stance against illegal drugs,” it said. —WITH REPORTS FROM ROSELIE MARI VILLAFLOR AND KRISTEL LIMPOT