BY PRINCE GOLEZ, RUBY SILUBRICO and ADRIAN STEWART CO
MANILA – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has made public its list of barangay captains and councilmen allegedly involved in illegal drugs. One of them was the village chief of Kasingkasing, Molo, Iloilo City.
Gemma Calzado was the only barangay official from Western Visayas included in the list dominated by those from Region 5 or the Bicol Region, Cordillera Administrative Region and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The three Iloilo City barangay captains that the Sangguniang Panlungsod previously investigated for alleged links to illegal drugs were not in PDEA’s list. They were Remia Prevendido Gregori of Bakhaw (Mandurriao district), Keith Espinosa of Monica Blumentritt (City Proper) and Noemi Jablo of Desamparados (Jaro district).
Of the 207 barangay officials in the list, 90 were barangay captains while 117 were councilmen.
Calzado is on her third and final term as barangay captain of Kasingkasing, Molo. Barred by law from seeking a fourth consecutive term, she is running for barangay councilman this May 14 barangay election.
“This is unfair. I have nothing to do with illegal drugs. How were they able to implicate me to illegal drugs? What’s their basis,” asked a puzzled Calzado.
According to PDEA director general Aaron Aquino yesterday, the list was validated by four agencies, including the Philippine National Police.
The barangay officials listed would be charged before the Office of the Ombudsman, he said.
“Actually, 293 talaga ang names na nasa initial list but upon validation, these went down to 207. The 86 other barangay officials were either deceased or already arrested,” said Aquino.
Calzado believed political enemies implicated her to illegal drugs.
“I am not a native of Barangay Kasingkasing. I wasn’t born in my village but despite this, I won as No. 1 barangay kagawad then later as barangay captain for three terms,” said Calzado.
Her election successes may have courted the envy of others with political ambitions in Barangay Kasingkasing, she said.
“If I am engaged in illegal activities my constituents would surely not have trusted me and reelected me,” said Calzado.
Aquino allayed fears that the list would serve as PDEA’s “hit list” in the campaign against illegal drugs.
“We want to be legitimate in our operations. We want our operations to be truthful,” he said.
The PDEA released its barangay narco list despite President Rodrigo Duterte saying on Saturday it was not yet time to make it public.
PDEA REGION 6 SURPRISED
Calzado’s inclusion in PDEA’s list surprised its Western Visayas office.
According to Regional Director Wardley Getalla, PDEA-6 submitted a list of suspected drug personalities to its central office but Calzado was not in it.
“We have no holdings (sic) on her name but we received reports subject for validation. Baka sa ibang agency na-include ang kanyang pangalan,” said Getalla.
Aside from the police, he said, the list that Aquino bared yesterday was validated also by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Getalla did not discount the possibility that soon, PDEA would bare more barangay officials from Western Visayas with alleged links to illegal drugs. He said his office would submit an additional list.
He won’t confirm or deny when asked if the three Iloilo City barangay captains that the Sangguniang Panlungsod previously investigated for alleged links to illegal drugs (Gregori, Espinosa and Jablo) were in the list his office submitted to PDEA’s central office.
The Police Regional Office 6’s Regional Drug Enforcement Unit also expressed surprise over Calzado’s inclusion in the PDEA list. Senior Inspector Kennith Bermejo, its chief, said Calzado was also not in their watch list.
But he did not discount the possibility that other law enforcement agencies may have the goods on Calzado.
Molo police station commander Chief Inspector Marlon Valencia recalled that during the fiesta of Barangay Kasingkasing a few years ago, the barangay council led by Calzado displayed a streamer welcoming suspected drug lord Melvin “Boyet” Odicta Sr. and wife Meriam.
“I saw the welcome streamer in her barangay. If you’re not associated with the couple, why would you welcome them? They were not city officials. Perhaps this was one of the bases Calzado was included in the PDEA list,” said Valencia.
The Odicta husband and wife were shot to death on Aug. 29, 2016 by unidentified armed men at the jetty port in Caticlan, Malay, Aklan.
“If I am into drug trafficking, I would have been living in financial comfort. But look at my situation, even my bed is only made of bamboo,” said Calzado./PN
