PNP chief supports barangay election suspension

CAMP BADO DANGWA, LA TRINIDAD BENGUET – The Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Police Director General (PDG) Ronald “Bato” M. dela Rosa, favors the postponement of 2017 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) election and scheduling it next year.
He said that this will give the PNP enough time to get rid of barangay captains and other officials involved in illegal drugs.
“I personally like the postponement because the PNP is not yet done in arresting all local narco politicians and drug lords controlling the barangay. For the critics, this is hard to believe but those people who are involved and benefiting from the operation of illegal drugs. They will do everything not only to protect their selves, but also to continue their operation. Winning the barangay election will give them some benefits,” Dela Rosa said.
The PNP chief said that if the selection process for new sets of barangay officials will push through this year, those candidates with money and resources coming from the operation of illegal drugs has bigger chances of winning. “I believe that one of the reason why the national government specially the president postponed the election. They wanted all barangays to be free from the control of the drug lords before pushing for the election,” Dela Rosa said.
“But it doesn’t mean that when they are elected as barangay officials, the police can not arrest them. In fact I’m asking them to heed our drug campaign. If not, they’d better be on their toes and pray that they will not get unlucky,” the PNP chief said.
Dela Rosa, however, reminded the law enforcers not to abuse their power, and to always value life. “The PNP will not allow the greediness of the drug lords to continue. Unfortunately some innocent lives were also sacrificed,” Dela Rosa said.
For about 14 months of implementing the project “Double Barrel”, more than 70,000 police operations were conducted against illegal drugs. These resulted in the arrest of 107,000 drug personalities all over the country and dismantling of 170 clandestine shabu laboratories and drug dens. A total of P12.7 billion worth of shabu were also seized.
The PNP chief said that about 70% to 74% of the barangays nationwide is drug affected. These barangays are either being governed by chieftains or kingpins who are involved in the operation of illegal drugs.
The Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PRO-COR) recently celebrated the 116th Police Service Anniversary where Dela Rosa served as the guest of honor and speaker. PRO-COR leaders and the different local government officials of the entire region welcomed Dela Rosa and adopted him as son of the Cordillera. He was given the name “Mulingan”, the hardest type of stone in the region.
On October 2, President Rodrigo Rua Duterte signed into law the Republic Act (RA) No. 10952 postponing the 2017 barangay and the SK election and scheduling it on the second Monday of May 2018. All incumbent barangay and SK officials will remain in office unless they are removed or suspended. DIONISIO B. DENNIS JR. / ABN

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