Tomas: Drug gang funding bets in 7 barangays

THE Police Regional Office (PRO-7) said a big-time drug pusher in Central Visayas is supporting some candidates in the barangay elections in Cebu City.

“What we have are big-time drug pushers who are considered as retailers and not drug lords (who are able to sell seven kilos of shabu in a week),” said Supt. Paul Labra II of the Regional Intelligence Division (RID of the Police Regional Office-7.

While Labra said they still have to verify these reports, former city mayor Tomas Osmeña warned about the presence of “narco politics” in seven barangays and said this amounted to a failure by the Cebu City police to stop the menace.

“Shabu is everywhere.  In barangay Inayawan, you buy it like cigarettes. The police chief has a bad record on gambling. He (Senior Supt. Noli Romana) was kicked out of Negros Oriental.  Where there is gambling, there is also drugs. Of course I don’t trust him,” Osmeña said.

Labra said the two big-time drug pushers receive their supply from Manila and traffic their drugs in nearby cities and towns such as Dumaguete City and Ormoc City.

In Cebu province, there are 74 drug “hot spot” barangays in Cebu City, 159 in Cebu Province, 27 in Mandaue City, and 30 in Lapu-Lapu City. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac, Reporter Joy Cherry Quito and Correspondent Chito Aragon