WITH the 2016 elections just months away, the Philippine National Police’s anti-narcotics unit expressed fears the need for campaign funds might trigger a rise in the number of government officials and employees arrested on drug-related charges.
“(The arrest) figure as of June is already high (but) this might go up since the election is months away, and politicians might link up with drug pushers and manufacturers to raise campaign funds,” said Chief Insp. Roque Merdegia of the PNP’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF).
“Others who get elected tend to continue their activities in illegal drugs since they want to recoup what they spent during the campaign period,” the police officer added.
Merdegia cited the arrest of former San Fernando, Masbate, Mayor Cherry Abapo Jr. in February for allegedly putting up a shabu laboratory.
“He wanted to run for mayor again but didn’t have the money. (So) he established a shabu laboratory that could produce two tons of shabu in six months,” Merdegia said.
AIDSOTF also filed drug charges against Lester Abapo, the former mayor of Milagros town, Masbate, and Ponga Lee and Fernando Bravante.
Data from AIDSOTF showed that 548 civil servants, including lawmen, officials and ordinary employees were arrested from 2011 to 2015.
Of this figure, 246 were ordinary employees, 158 were elected officials and 144 law enforcers.
Of the 158 elected officials arrested for illegal drugs in the past four years, 124 were barangay councilors while 28 were barangay chairpersons. Three were town councilors, one was a provincial board member, another a mayoral candidate and another a vice mayor.