Palace: Maasim mayor’s case shows narco-politics’ deep roots

Malacañang on Saturday said the surrender of Sarangani Mayor Aniceto Lopez after a shabu lab and P5 million worth of suspected shabu were discovered in his property paints a picture of the current state of narco-politics in the Philippines.

"The surrender ... underscores how deeply entrenched narco-politics is in the country," Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

Lopez surrendered to Senator Manny Pacquiao, who then turned him over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Friday.

Hours before Lopez surrendered, PDEA operatives conducted a predawn raid on his house, yielding a green book containing drug transactions and money trail and  suspected the illegal substances.

A pack of suspected party drugs ecstasy vials, two cal. 45 pistols, two M203 grenades, two fragmentation grenades, two rifle grenades and drug paraphernalia were also recovered from Lopez's rest house.

"The raid by PDEA operatives of the rest house of the Maasim mayor, where P5 million worth of suspected shabu and a mini-shabu laboratory were seized, proves the administration’s claim that illegal drugs and corruption have captured local politics," Abella said.

"Progress against illegal drugs largely depends on the full support and cooperation of everyone from the citizens to the church and communities," he added.

The mayor was among drug personalities on PDEA's watch list, but was not included in the President's official list of supposed narco-politicians.

PDEA tagged Lopez as the leader of the El Patron Drug Group, allegedly working together with the Ansar Khalifa Philippines and the New People’s Army.

Pacquiao said that Lopez denied any knowledge of the illegal drugs found during the the raid.

"I'm not saying that Lopez is guilty. My point is, he should be given a chance to answer the charges that may be filed against him in court," the senator said.

Lopez had sent surrender feelers when joint police and military elements raided his house in a court-sanctioned operation. —Margaret Claire Layug/LBG, GMA news