La Union Officials Urge PDEA in the Preservation of Peace and Order and Protection of the People in the Province
[wp-svg-icons icon="user" wrap="span"] By: Cristina C. Marvida, GPC-SP | [wp-svg-icons icon="camera" wrap="span"] By: Atty. Cherry Untalan | [wp-svg-icons icon="calendar" wrap="span"] Date: June 29, 2018
Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member Bellarmin A. Flores II, on behalf of Gov. Francisco Emmanuel "Pacoy" R. Ortega III, with Congresswoman Sandra Y. Eriguel presents the SP Resolution No. 307-2018 to Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron N. Aquino on June 18, 2018 at his office in Barangay Pinyahan, Diliman, Quezon City.
The official delegation of the province of La Union headed by Governor Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” R. Ortega III, ABONO Party-list Representative Vini Nola A. Ortega, 2nd District Representative Sandra Y. Eriguel, Sangguniang Panlalawigan Members (SPM) Bellarmin A. Flores II, Ruperto A. Rillera, Jr., Christian I. Rivera together with all the mayors and their representatives in the 2nd District presented SP Resolution No. 307-2018 to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) through Director General Aaron N. Aquino on June 18, 2018 in his office in Diliman, Quezon City.
Resolution No. 307-2018 requests PDEA headed by Director General Aaron N. Aquino and all law enforcement agencies of the government to come together to preserve peace and order and to protect the people from lawless elements in the Province of La Union.
According to SPM Flores in his privilege speech on June 21, 2018, the PDEA Chief gladly received the resolution and he was happy and awed by the huge delegation of elected officials from the province visiting him. He pledged to do his very best in performing their functions as mandated by law but his agency cannot do as much as they want to because of the limited resources his agency has. He asked the two representatives in Congress for an increase of his agency’s budget. The two representatives of the province said that they will work on it. He also appealed to the local elected officials especially the mayors to actively engage in the fight against illegal drugs in their respective localities. He also called for stronger measures and concerted efforts of all local officials in the province to put an end to the drug menace in their communities.
According to the PDEA Chief, a public official can be named and included in the narco-politicians in several ways such as: actively engaging in drug trade like using, pushing or selling illegal drugs; if a mayor, for example, is not doing anything in his territorial jurisdiction to stop or prevent the proliferation of illegal drugs, he is considered a protector; if a Barangay Captain is not doing anything to arrest or cause the arrest of known drug personalities actively engaged in an illegal drug trade, he will be listed as protector or in complicit with the illegal drug trade; or a person in authority asking a law enforcement officer for favor to go easy or to free a drug offender, he will be listed as drug protector.
SPM Flores mentioned that Director General Aquino appealed to them to direct all barangay officials especially the Punong Barangay to always be vigilant and on the look-out of drug personalities in their barangays and immediately report to the local authorities, otherwise, they will be listed as protector. He added that after rehabilitation of drug surrenderees, the province must provide livelihood and training for them to earn a decent living so that they will not go back to doing illegal activities.
According to the Director General, there is now a process established under his watch of who will be de-listed and those who will remain listed in the narco-list. There is an adjudication team composed of the PDEA, Philippine National Police (PNP), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces (ISAF) that will adjudicate based on intelligence reports, verification or validation whether a particular narco-politician in the list of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte still engaged in the trade or a protector. If he is no longer active and is supportive of the fight against illegal drugs, like initiating effective intervention to help and rehabilitate drug dependents in their jurisdiction, he will be recommended for de-listing. The President is the only authority to de-list.
SPM Flores said in his speech that it is important that we develop and maintain a strong and lasting relationship with PDEA for the good of the province and for the protection of the people. He introduced a resolution which was unanimously approved by the SP to thank the Director General for his generosity and warm reception to the La Union national, provincial and municipal officials bestowed by him on June 18, 2018 and also to express full and unwavering support of the province to PDEA in its mandated function to fight and eradicate illegal drugs.
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