DILG’s Diño says 600 more barangay execs may face raps for failure to fight drugs

The Department of the Interior and Local Government may file charges against 600 more barangay officials for not contributing to the government's drug war despite having organized Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (BADAC).

Interior Undersecretary Martin Diño told Unang Balita that the DILG has already filed complaints against 15 barangay officials for not organizing anti-drug councils.

"Meron pang 600 na nag-organize ng BADAC, hindi naman functional," Diño said.

He said the list of 600 barangay officials is separate from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency's list of 207 barangay chairmen and councilmen suspected of being involved in the illegal drug trade.

Meanwhile, Diño said he does not believe that only at least 10 barangay officials in Metro Manila are involved in the illegal drug trade.

He said he will ask law enforcement agencies to place under investigations all officials in a barangay where a succesful anti-illegal drugs operation will be conducted.

Based on the drug list provided by the PDEA to the media, nine barangay barangay captains and three councilmen are involved in drugs in Metro Manila.

Majority of barangay officials on the list are in Bicol region.

Lifestyle check

In the same interview, Diño said the DILG is going through inventories of barangays nationwide to check which officials should face charges for graft and corruption.

He said DILG Officer-in-Charge Secretary Eduardo Año recently ordered all barangay officials to submit inventories of projects and available funds as part of the department's "lifestyle check."

Diño said several barangay officials have already submitted their inventories and those who will fail to submit will face complaints.

He said some of those who have not submitted their inventories are posh barangays in Metro Manila.

Diño said the DILG wanted to make sure that barangay funds will not be used by incumbent officials in the campaign for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on May 14. 

He cited that some barangays in the country, mostly in Metro Manila, have at least P150 million funds. —ALG, GMA News