Ex-jail guard, nephew cited in Duterte drug list yield in Albay

The Albay District Jail in Legazpi City. One of its former jail guards and his nephew have submitted themselves to an investigation after their names pop up in President Duterte’s blacklist of alleged drug trafficking coddlers. (FILE PHOTO BY
MARK ALVIC ESPLANA)

LEGAZPI CITY — Two persons on the list of suspected protectors of the illegal drug trade in Albay province appeared on Monday, at the police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) regional office in Bicol, saying they were not involved in the illicit business.

Reynante Dayto, 41, a former jail officer of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and his nephew, Raymart, 31, sought police officials in the region to clear their names after they were identified as among those supposedly involved in the illegal drug trade.

“We were shocked… that we were tagged [as involved in illegal drugs], together with big time personalities and politicians,” said Dayto.

He said he sought the help of their barangay (village) chairman and immediately went to the CIDG office.

“We want to clear our names. We firmly deny the allegations that we are financiers of [the] illegal drug trade in Bicol,” Dayto said.

Raymart, however, admitted that he used to be engaged in small transactions of illegal drugs but decided to quit and reform for his family’s sake.

Fernando Lopez, village chairman of Pigcale, said he was surprised upon learning that the Daytos were on the list.

“If they were big time drug personalities, maybe, they would build a [big] house. But that’s not the case,” he said.

Senior Supt. Marlon Tejada, CIDG Bicol chief, said Dayto was not on their watch list of people suspected of involvement in illegal drugs.  SFM