PNP REGIONAL OFFICE 1 MONITORING

CALASIAO—A total of 384 candidates in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in Region 1—of which 209 are in Pangasinan—are reportedly involved in illegal drugs, according to the police regional director.

Chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula told local newsmen on May 2 here for the declaration of this town as “drug-cleared”, that of the 384 candidates involved in drugs, 69 are vying for barangay captain, 304 are for barangay kagawad, 6 for SK chairman and 5 for SK kagawad.

He said Pangasinan candidates in the list include 42 bets for barangay captain, 162 barangay kagawad, 2 SK chairman, and 3 SK kagawad.

“This includes users, pushers or, in one way or another, [other] involvement in illegal drugs,” he said.

“There’s a big difference between our list and that of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) because in ours, it’s very many while theirs is very little,” he said.

He added that the PNP narco list includes only those who have filed their candidacy for the May 14 elections.

Sapitula said he would not comment on the PDEA’s narco list “but as far as we are concerned, our data in the region are correct because in every nook and cranny, there are policemen”.

“In all corners, we talk to the barangays. We do not dispute PDEA’s record but this is what we have recorded in our region,” he said.

He said they have reported their data to the PNP national headquarters. “We are more updated because in every corner, we have policemen and we must also understand that PDEA lacks manpower,” he added.

He stressed his office will release names of candidates with drug links after further validation is made within five days.

“We are also praying that the people will vote for the candidates worthy of the mandate, ” Sapitula said.

Sapitula said some names in the PNP narco list have previously surrendered and have also undergone community-based programs that included random drug testing and those who did not surrender.

He said their process of validation is done where their intelligence officers go down to the ground and validate with people, barangay officials and concerned citizens.

In his speech, he challenged the people of Calasiao to help one another to maintain the status of their town as drug-cleared, saying he did not want to use the words “drug-free” because the literal translation of this in Tagalog is “the people are free to use drugs.

“Mga kasama binabanggit ko po ito sa inyo para bigyan ng emphasis kung gaano kaseryoso ang liderato ng PNP, kung gaano kaseryoso ang liderato ng ating pamahalaan na wakasan ang drogang ito, Sapitula said as he called on the people of Calasiao led by Mayor Jose Arman Bauzon and Vice Mayor Mehadeva Das Mesina to join hands as one community of people so that Calasiao will maintain its drug-cleared status.

Turning to the reformed drug surrenderers he said: “Mapalad kayo at buhay pa kayo”. (Eva Visperas/Leonardo Micua)

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