THE National Capital Region Police Office on Sunday disclosed that there are 54 celebrities included in their updated list of drug users and pushers.
NCRPO director Chief Supt. Oscar Albayalde said the names on the list were based on information provided by actresses Sabrina M. and Krista Miller, who were both arrested for possession of illegal drugs.
Albayalde declined to name the celebrities, however, saying they were being subjected to validation.
Most of the celebrities on the list were using shabu, cocaine and party drugs, he said.
The list, he added, is growing.
“Every time we make arrests, more names are being included because they were all telling us the persons they transact with,” he said.
The NCRPO chief said, however, that actor Mark Anthony Fernandez, who was arrested with almost one kilo of marijuana last week in Pampanga, was not included in the list of celebrities.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said Sunday more barangay officials were getting involved in the illegal drug trade in the last three years.
Based on the data consolidated by PDEA, 65 barangay officials, composed of six barangay chairmen and 59 barangay kagawads, were arrested for drug-related offenses in 2015.
“This is 18.18 percent higher than CY 2014 where 55 village officials (10 barangay chairmen and 45 barangay kagawad) were arrested for violating the anti-drug law and the highest since 2013,” said PDEA Director General Isidro S. Lapeña.
“It is alarming that an increasing number of barangay officials are getting involved in illegal drug activities. It is a shame that they are the highest elected officials in their communities but they are the ones pushing illegal drugs, instead of taking care of the welfare of their constituents,” the PDEA chief said.
From January to October 2, 2016, 11 barangay chairmen and 40 barangay kagawads, or 51 barangay officials were arrested for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
In the past two weeks, PDEA, in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies arrested two barangay captains in Zamboanga del Norte and Camarines Norte and four barangay kagawad in Lanao del Sur, Romblon, Butuan City and Oriental Mindoro. Lamberto Villa, a barangay chairman was killed after he shot it out with lawmen in his house, which was being used as a drug den in San Carlos City, police said.
Congress has agreed to reschedule the 2016 barangay elections to next year, following Duterte’s concern that drug money could seep into the electoral process and allow narco-barangay officials to stay in their posts.
