El Nido ex-vice mayor gives up hoping to clear name in drug case

President Rodrigo Duterte names, on Aug. 7, 2016, the alleged coddlers of drug syndicates among local officials and the police and gives them 24 hours to show up at police stations nationwide. (SCREENSHOT OF RTVM MALACAÑANG VIDEO)

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — Former El Nido Vice Mayor Edgardo Trinidad surrendered to the Palawan provincial police on Sunday night following his inclusion on the list of incumbent and former local officials allegedly involved in the illegal drugs trade.

On Monday, Supt. Roade Tumbaga, Palawan provincial police director, said Trinidad turned himself in to answer accusations about his links to the drug trade. He also sought the police out of fear for his personal safety, in the wake of vigilante attacks on drug-pushing suspects, Tumbaga said.

Trinidad is among incumbent and former local government officials tied to the country’s illegal drugs trade after years of police monitoring, according to President Duterte.

Tumbaga said the local police confiscated from Trinidad a licensed rifle in compliance with the President’s order cancelling the gun licenses of people included on the list.

But Tumbaga said police had no evidence to hold the Trinidad in custody, noting that the former vice mayor was not even on the provincial police’s own list of suspects in the illegal drug trade.

“He is free to leave if he so wishes. If he decides to remain in our custody, we can assure him of his personal safety. But if he goes out, ibang usapan na yun (that’s a different story),” Tumbaga said.

Trinidad owns the Resort Bayview Hotel, a high-end tourist accommodation in the outskirts of El Nido town.  SFM/rga