Local Government Undersecretary Martin Diño revealed to this writer the activation of more than 44,000 barangay antidrug abuse councils (Badac) nationwide in fighting criminality and drugs.
Some 800,000 barangay “intelligence agents” provide law enforcement agencies highly valuable and “verified intel” on all criminal elements, including drug syndicates, in their areas.
No wonder, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Philippine National Police are able to conduct on a daily basis multiple buy-bust operations on drug dens inside apartelles, hotels or lowly neighborhood “looban.”
Hired killers, thieves and molesters are now being killed or arrested, largely due to “active and validated intel” from their communities.
Barangay chairs are mandated to submit a list of drug pushers/users and criminal elements in their respective jurisdictions for subsequent investigation and action by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), PNP, PDEA and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Inaction triggers heavy sanctions or removal from office. Diño says that so far, he has been firing one erring barangay chair daily.
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The DILG, PNP, NBI and PDEA’s list of narco-politicians are driving many candidates crazy.
From 300 narco-politicians before the barangay elections, there are now just 80 names on the so-called four-times verified drug watch list. It includes governors, mayors, vice mayors, congressmen, board members and councilors.
Diño says the list will be published before the official campaign period for local candidates starts at the end of this month, despite warnings from senators and a commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
“It is our constitutional duty to warn the public of these ‘narco-politicians’ and prevent them from getting elected,” he insists.
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A senatorial bet being nearly hit by a water bottle lobbed by an unidentified person during the recent Panagbenga Flower Festival in Baguio City doesn’t bode well for future campaign sorties. With just over two months to go, such incidents should be discouraged by all politicians to prevent further violence.
Of course, a certain level of hotheadedness is triggered by the “troll farms” engaged by some candidates that unleash accusations and exposés against their opponents for social media’s consumption.
The targets are those within the “Magic 12” circle. When a candidate moves down, it allows those occupying the 13 to 20 positions to move up. Candidates in the first four slots also engage in black ops to ensure they become topnotchers. Actually, this is a case of “everybody is your enemy.”
This is why some senatoriables are campaigning alone and not joining their colleagues in their respective coalitions.
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A Feb. 1-10 Metro survey by RP Mission Inc. says that if the elections were held today, the sure winners are Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian, Pasig Mayor Bobby Eusebio, Las Piñas Mayor Imelda Aguilar, Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez, Makati Mayor Abby Binay, Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan, Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi and Mandaluyong Mayor Menchie Abalos.
New leaders like Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte will win in Quezon City, Rep. Imelda Calixto-Rubiano in Pasay and Rep. Lino Cayetano in Taguig.
In Manila, former Vice Mayor Isko Moreno leads incumbent Mayor Joseph Estrada and former Mayor Alfredo Lim, while ex-San Juan Vice Mayor Francis Zamora, who is backed by President Duterte, is ahead of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s daughter, Janella, who was endorsed recently by Sara Duterte.
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