TUMULAK
A Cebu City councilor is asking the Philippine National Police to divulge the names of Cebu City barangay officials and tanods who are involved in the illegal drugs trade.
Councilor Dave Tumulak, deputy mayor for police matters, who made this call yesterday, said the names of these people should be divulged so that they could explain their side and clear their names.
“Let the involved explain his side. If magsige og tago-tago dili gyud ta mahuman ani. Other barangays in the city sagolan or naa gihapoy politika. Ang blue ug green nag-iyahay og sumbong. Which is (an) advantage in our part, mangawas man og kinsay supporters. Ang pikas nibanos pud. It’s high time nga mogawas ning lista,” Tumulak said.
Tumulak also warned those barangays officials or tanods, who are involved in the drug trade to surrender or face charges like dereliction of duty.
“If they will not surrender might as well leave Cebu City, para mabuhi kapa (for you to be alive),” Tumulak warned.
Tumulak said that the police should name these barangay officials and tanods or they could let the arrested drug suspects to name these barangay officials and tanods.
In the recent drug operations of Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), Tumulak said there were arrested drug suspects who claimed that they knew barangay officials and even tanods who are into illegal drugs trade.
He said in a usual anti-drug operation of the law enforcers, police would ask basic questions during interrogations like where did the suspects get their supply, who are personalities involved, or who is their protector which some of the suspects had answered.
“And some of the police they confiscated either cell phones, blue books, bank slips, deposit slips, money transfer receipts, and the police knows kinsa ning mga involved (who are those involved),” Tumulak said.
He claimed that at least four barangay councilors and three tanods were named by an arrested drug suspect as either his coddler or pusher.
Tumulak said the nicknames of these fourbarangay officials in the city that he linked to illegal drugs are “Inggo:, “Owik”, “Boboy”, “Cris.”
He also said that the nicknames of these tanods are “Alo”, “Fred” and “Dammy.”
“Matod sa suspect sa mga drug pushers, kining mga tawhana they know nga involved sila sa illegal drug but akong giadto sa police station, never ni nalista sa mga police. Never sad ni na submit sa mga barangay officials, so perception of the public they are protectors (According to the suspects these people they know that they are involve in illegal drugs but when I went to police stations, they are never listed in the police as drug coddlers),” he added.
But Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Joel Doria refused to comment on Tumulak’s list of barangay officials allegedly coddling illegal drug operators in the city.
Doria said he had no knowledge about the councilor’s list of alleged drug coddlers.
Doria is currently at the Camp Crame to attend a series of meetings there.
He said since he had not seen the list then he would not comment on it yet.
“If I comment without any prior knowledge about it, parang sinabi po natin na merong multo pero wala naman tayong nakikita (It’s as if I’m talking about a ghost that I’ve never really seen in the first place),” said Doria about Tumulak’s list.
He also added that CCPO does not have a list of barangay captains or tanods that might have links to illegal drug activities in the city.
“We have not received any complaints about it yet. Once we receive a formal complaint or a request to put under an investigation on certain barangay officials involved in illegal activities, we shall do so,” Doria said.