CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The indefatigable lawyer who was behind the filing of cases against legislators who worked in cahoots with Janet Lim Napoles’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam is now fighting another battle.
Atty. Levy Baligod is running for mayor of Baybay City, Leyte. His wife, Malot is running as congressional representative in the 5th District Of Leyte.
“Why am I running? Look around Baybay City, go to the far flung barangays and you will see nothing but poverty. Isang pamilya lang yumayaman dito, and everbody here in Baybay knows it,” Baligod said.
Aside from poverty the illegal drugs trade is also prevalent in the area.
Baligod said that Baybay City is known as “bodega” (warehouse) for illegal drugs in Region 8 (Eastern Visayas).
“Again, it’s an open secret, and it has to stop. The local government can do something to end it, not protect it,” Baligod added.
Baligod also said that aside from being an open secret, he is aware of this as he was the one who took the judicial affidavit of eight of Kerwin Espinosa’s drug courier.
Espinosa is the self-confessed drug lord in Eastern Visayas and has links with the illegal drugs operation at the National Bilibid Prison (NBP).
“Alam niyo po ang sabi nila sa akin, alam mo sir yung binabiyahe naman na droga galing sa Samida idederetso muna namin sa Baybay bago dalhin sa Albuera, sa Ormoc, sa Southern Leyte, sa Masbate,sa Samar, sa Bohol, yung mga droga na galing sa Ozamiz City, Marawi, sa Mosamis Oriental, sa Surigao Del Sur dadalhin muna sa Baybay bago nila dalhin sa ibang lugar. In short bodega muna dito,” Baligod said in his speech before residents of barangays Maypatag, Ciabu and Monterico during the Pulong-pulong of Team his team “Kausbahan.”
Baligod said the anti-drug campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte should be supported by all fronts especially at the level of the local government. /muf