PDEA says 207 of 289 barangay execs on narcolist still active

Out of the 289 barangay officials on the government’s list of ‘narcopoliticians,’ 207 remain active in illegal drug trade, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said on Wednesday.

“Out of these 289 barangay officials, 41 were arrested, five died in legitimate police operations, 27 homicide under investigation, three recorded natural deaths, five used other names or aliases, and one politically motivated death,” PDEA Director Gen. Aaron Aquino said in a statement.

The 289 barangay officials were primarily composed of 143 village chiefs and 146 village councilors.

READ: PDEA to voters: Don’t reelect narcopols in barangay polls