By John Noel E. Herrera
Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB)-Iloilo chapter president Dorothy Paes said she supports the proposed drug testing on aspiring candidates for the Barangay and SK elections (BSKE) on Oct 30, 2023.
Paes stressed that as public servants, barangay officials should set a good example in their community, and part of that is shunning illegal activities.
“Ini gin hambal nga dapat tanan nga mapadalagan ukon mapa-elect in the upcoming barangay and SK elections, maga-undergo sang drug testing… Pabor ako sa ina nga requirement kay ti bilang isa ka public servant, dapat kita ang maging modelo sang aton kabaranggayan kag sa bahin ko, wala man kita guro kahadlukon nga mag undergo sa drug test kung wala kita involve sa ina nga aktibidades,” Paes said.
The LnB chief noted that undergoing the drug test is one way to boost public trust as the results will prove if barangay officials are worthy of leading the community or not.
Paes, however, said that the process for the proposed drug test should be clear and should be implemented fairly among the aspiring candidates.
“Kung mag-undergo kita sa sina nga proseso, kabay pa nga kung ina paga-implementar sa palaabuton nga eleksyon tani ma-implementar sa insakto nga proseso nga ma-organize gid kung paano i-implementar ina nga may fair man nga procedures sa aton aspirants or sa gusto magserbisyo sa barangay,” she said.
Paes also acknowledged that there were already some barangay officials in Iloilo province who were linked to illegal drug activities, based on the information they received from the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Data from the PNP earlier showed that 430 barangay officials in the country are on the list of suspected illegal drug personalities, including 76 (20 barangay captains and 56 village councilmen) in Western Visayas.
Out of the 76 identified local officials, Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 data revealed that four village chiefs and 11 barangay kagawads came from Iloilo province.
Despite the link of some barangay officials to illegal drugs, Paes still encouraged her fellow local leaders to cooperate with the national government’s campaign against all illegal activities.
“Gapangayo gid ako sang kooperasyon sang tanan naton nga barangay officials sa pagpangampanya sa illegal drugs, pag-iwas sang pagamit sini. Masubo man hambalon nga may iban kita nga upod nga ara sa watchlist, pero majority pa man ang negative. So, ginapanugyan ko lang bilang public servants, tinguwaan naton nga mapalayo dira,” Paes said.
A report from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP) indicated that around 90.25 percent of the 4,051 barangays in Western Visayas, including 1,721 (98.55%) in Iloilo province, have been cleared of illegal drugs as of May 2023.
Meanwhile, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. earlier urged the voters to be mindful and discerning in choosing their next village leaders, noting that the public should elect people who are smart, responsible, and competent.
“That is what our voters’ education is all about… Sa mga tao, tan-awon ta kung ano kapasidad nila. Hindi malikawan nga may kaalam na siya, dapat responsable na siya para nga magplano sa barangay,” Defensor said.
