The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said on Wednesday said that only about 289 barangay officials were on the “narco list” of President Duterte, and not 9,000, as earlier reported by an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said the figures, which were way below the number disclosed by DILG Undersecretary Martin Diño several days ago, was based on the agency’s National Drug Information System.
“There are 289 barangay officials in the narco list of President Duterte based on the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency National Drug Information System [PDEA- NDIS], far from the 9,000 barangay officials as previously reported,”Aquino said.
He said that those in the list were 143 barangay chairmen and 146 barangay kagawad.
“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. As of this date, 207 barangay officials are active in the illegal-drug trade based on PDEA’s record,” the PDEA director general said.
Aquino said that pursuant to Executive Order 15, the PDEA, as lead group of the Interagency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs, “has the verified precise data on the barangay officials linked to illegal-drug activities.”
“This information was obtained from the report of Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council [Badacs] nationwide,” he added.
Earlier, Diño claimed that 9, 000 barangay officials, who were involved in illegal drugs, were on Duterte’s list, a revelation that prompted barangay officials, especially in Metro Manila, to prod the official to name them.
The report came as the country is in the thick of its preparations for the barangay elections in May, unless otherwise postponed anew.
Diño, a former barangay captain, said village officials linked to drugs will be removed from office.
Aquino has reiterated his call to barangay officials to activate their respective Badacs and be cooperative and proactive in the anti-illegal drug campaign.
He believed that the number would increase once the validated list of barangay officials involved in the illegal-drug trade is submitted to the PDEA.
The PDEA said that the DILG is fully supporting the PDEA in the antidrugs campaign by providing “information on drug personalities for verification and immediate action to finalize the list of politicians involved in the illegal- drug trade.”
Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald M. dela Rosa earlier called on Filipinos not to vote barangay officials who are involved in drugs in the upcoming elections.