MANILA, Philippines — Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers laughed off rumors over social media linking him to the illegal drug trade, noting that it was only now — after decades of fighting this social menace — that he was tagged as a drug lord.
During Monday’s hearing of the House of Representatives committee on public order and safety, committee chair and Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez joked that it seems Barbers is now considered a high-value target (HVT) after some influencers on social media alluded to his relatives’ alleged involvement in illegal drugs.
“Ang pino-point out ni Congressman Caraps (Paduano) dito ‘yong mga nalalagay sa drug list […] naisasama. And ako, yes, hindi dapat. Unfortunately until now may napapasama pa rin sa drug list ng mga high value target — I think si Chairman Barbers kasama ka sa HVT,” Fernandez said. “Kasama ka ba sa bagong drug list?”
(Congressman Paduano is pointing out those who are included in the drug list […] that shouldn’t be on it. And I agree, it shouldn’t happen. Unfortunately, until now, some are still included in the drug list of high-value targets — I think Chairman Barbers, you’re on that list. Are you included in the new drug list?)
“Hindi, ako po’y nagtataka lamang, I’m sure this is probably not just my experience but I’m sure marami tayong kasamaan na nagiging subject ng tirades or ‘yong mga fake news sa social media. Eh ako nga, I’ve been advocating, I have been an anti-illegal drugs advocate but now I am considered as a drug lord,” Barbers said.
(No, I’m just wondering. I’m sure this isn’t just my experience, but many of us become subjects of tirades or fake news on social media. I’ve been advocating against illegal drugs, but now I’m being labeled as a drug lord.)
“So now I’m a drug lord, I’ve been fighting this drug war for several decades since I became a politician in 1995, until now, I’m an anti-illegal drug advocate, it’s just now, this year, that I’ve been considered a high value target,” he added.
Before the hearing of the House quad committee last November 13, there were influencers on social media who either posted or reposted insinuations that a certain politician’s relatives were arrested in a buy-bust operation conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
While Barbers’ name was not mentioned, the posts said the incident happened in Surigao del Norte — the lawmaker’s home province. The posts also claimed that the rumors are not mere “kwentong barbero” or a colloquial term for barbershop talk — supposedly an allusion to Barbers’ surname.
Eventually, PDEA clarified that the mentioned buy-bust operation was not linked to Barbers or his brother, Surigao del Norte Governor Lyndon Barbers.
But Barbers, chairperson of the House committee on dangerous drugs and lead presiding officer of the quad committee, believes these rumors were only out to destroy the credibility of the four panels.
“So if you’re going to base it on the mga social media [posts], perhaps that’s just one way of these people trying to discredit and probably destroy the credibility of the quad committee,” he said.
“I am not the quad comm. I am just one of the colleagues of my good co-chairs. But if these moves are being done to discredit, destroy, or malign the image or members of the Philippine National Police, it is not far-fetched to think that us as political personalities will also be victims.)
Fernandez, who has also faced criticism from opponents of the quad committee, said that Barbers should not mind attacks from “trolls.” In response, Barbers said that he was not bothered, adding that the trolls should do better.
“Do you still believe that, you know these are just trolls and well, we congressmen are in touch with the ground. We know the people’s true sentiments and they are happy that they now know the truth that happened in the last administration,” Fernandez said.
“Actually I don’t mind them and I don’t want to give them the pleasure of laughing behind our backs by seeing us getting affected. We are not affected by that,” Barbers added. “My advice to them is to do better because it seems like your skills are lacking.”
The quad committee comprises the committee on dangerous drugs, the committee on public order and safety, the committee on public accounts, and the committee on human rights.
The panels have been investigating possible correlations between illegal activities in Philippine offshore gaming operators hubs, the illicit drug trade, and alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the past administration’s drug war.
READ: Garma says Davao drug war template, rewards system applied in entire PH
Recently, the panels have focused on the alleged EJKs, including claims that a rewards system was implemented when former President Rodrigo Duterte was in office. Previously, retired police colonel Royina Garma claimed that Duterte called her in May 2016 to discuss the implementation of a Davao model in the nationwide drug war.
According to Garma, the Davao template is a system where cash grants worth P20,000 to P1 million are given to cops who kill drug suspects.