Drug charges await village execs over failed anti-drug council – DILG

DILG Usec Martin Diño. Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is poised to file illegal drugs charges against village officials who have failed to establish a functional Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC).

DILG Usec. Martin Diño announced on Wednesday that a string of drug cases would be filed against village officials next week for failing to create BADACs despite staying in power for nearly five years.

The Duterte administration has postponed the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections twice, which means that sitting village and youth officials have also been extended two times in their respective positions.

“Five years na dapat iyan. Dapat pag-upo nila mayroon na silang BADAC. Biro mo, sa ilang taon, hindi sila nakapaglagay. Kaya ngayon i-a-assess na natin,” Diño told reporters via phone patch at the regular Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

“Definitely next week magfa-file ng kaso sa mga barangay na hindi naglagay ng functional BADAC,” the DILG official also said.

Likewise, Diño said they would announce the identities of village officials, including those seeking re-election, who would be facing illegal drug charges over the failure to establish BADACs.

“We will continue filing cases against barangay captains against illegal drugs,” Diño said. “‘Pag finile na namin ang kaso, public documents ‘yan, kaya pwede ilabas kung sino ang (kinasuhan).” /kga