DILG exec: Give elected former drug users/pushers a chance
A DRUG personality who won an elective post in the last elections may still prove himself or herself to be worthy of the position if he or she has undergone rehabilitation sanctioned by the Pangasinan police or the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
This is the sentiment expressed by the chief of the office of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Pangasinan in reaction to reports that the police and PDEA will closely monitor the activities of drug personalities who won in the last barangay elections.
Agnes de Leon, provincial director of the DILG-Pangasinan, said she is confident that former drug personalities can still be expected to serve as models in public service if they have reformed under PNP’s and PDEA’s program.
De Leon urged communities to give the reformed drug personalities a chance to prove themselves especially if they have graduated from rehab programs including the community based rehabilitation program supervised by the local police.
She advised members of the community to view the election of a former drug personality as an expression of trust on the person despite his/her past.
Being a drug personality alone is not ground for disqualification unless the person has been charged administratively or criminally for his or her drug activities, she said.
The DILG Provincial Office still had no validated information on how many narco politicians were reelected or former drug users or pushers who were elected. De Leon said she was still waiting to be supplied such a list by the PNP or PDEA.
Meanwhile, she confirmed that no one among the elected barangay and sangguniang kabataan officials is being disallowed to assume office noontime of June 30.
The election of the head of Liga ng mga Barangay in towns and cities will be conducted in July after the start of duty on June 30 to assume posts as ex-officio members of Sangguniang Bayan or Sangguniang Panlungsod.
All SK officials are required to undergo mandatory orientation before they can take their oaths of office on June 30. (Nora Dominguez)
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