400 village, SK bets linked to drugs in Ilocos region

CALASIAO, Pangasinan — About 400 candidates in the May 14 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in four provinces of the Ilocos region are involved in illegal drugs, a top police official said on Wednesday.

“There’s a big difference between our list and the list released by the PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency),” said Chief Supt. Romulo Sapitula, Ilocos regional police director.

“We don’t dispute the PDEA record, but this is what we have in the region. We have a policeman in practically all corners of the region talking to villagers,” he said.

Protectors

On Monday, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino released the names of 207 barangay officials involved in illegal drugs as users, pushers and protectors. Eleven of them — three village chiefs and eight council members — were from the Ilocos region.

The PDEA said the “narcolist” was meant to help voters in deciding who to support in the barangay and SK elections.

The Ilocos region has 387 candidates for the barangay and SK elections: 70 for village chiefs, 306 for barangay kagawad, six for SK chair and five for SK kagawad.

Most of the candidates are in Pangasinan province.

Denial

According to Sapitula, Pangasinan, the region’s biggest province, has the most number of candidates linked to illegal drugs. He said their names would be posted at the police stations.

In Iligan City, Poblacion village councilor Jeffrey Rebleza said he was expecting his name to appear on the PDEA drug list after he sought reelection.

“I knew [my name] would be there. When I surrendered in 2016, the PDEA told me it won’t easily go away,” Rebleza told the Inquirer, stressing that he had stopped using drugs.

In Maguindanao province, two village chiefs on the list said they were ready to submit to a drug test to clear their names. —Reports from Gabriel Cardinoza, Divina Suson, Leah Agonoy and Edwin Fernandez