Brgy. Ermita execs: We were just waiting for cops to call us

Rupinta

PDEA-7 chief to file case against brgy. chief, 7 others for not helping in drug raid

Barangay Ermita officials are willing to face an investigation on allegations that they did not cooperate with police forces during an anti-drug operation in Sitio Bato last Sunday evening.

Ermita Barangay Captain Felicisimo “Imok” Rupinta yesterday said this even as he denied the non-cooperation allegations since they were just waiting inside the barangay hall during the operation.

“Dili na tinuod. Naghuwat mi, kauban sa among ubang mga barangay officials nga sangpiton mi nila. Ang procedure man gud, i-cordon nila ang area unya manawag sila sa barangay officials. Ila sigurong hunahuna nga dili mi nila sangpiton kay tingali ug kunsabo mi sa mga namaligya ug druga (That’s not true. We were waiting, together with other barangay officials, for them to contact us. The procedure is that they will cordon the area, and then they will call the barangay officials. Maybe, they were thinking that they would not contact us because they thought that we were involved with those selling illegal drugs),” said Rupinta in an interview yesterday when asked about his reaction to the allegations and the plan to file administrative charges against them.

Yogi Filemon Ruiz, director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7), said yesterday that he would file administrative charges against Rupinta and seven other Barangay Ermita officials for not heeding the agency’s request to send personnel to assist the operatives in a drug raid in the barangay.

Ruiz said that he would still consult with the agency’s lawyers before filing charges.

“I will really file charges for dereliction of duty against all of them (Barangay Ermita officials),” he said.

Last Sunday’s operation was conducted by PDEA-7 together with the Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG-7) and Task Force Cebu of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

At least P800,000 worth of shabu were confiscated and 15 persons were arrested during the raid in what was considered as a “shabu tiangge” at the back of Unit 2 of the Carbon Market.

Rupinta said that even if it was a Sunday, he spent the afternoon and evening at the barangay hall waiting for the raiding team to coordinate with them.
But since they did not coordinate with the barangay officials, he said they also refrained from joining the operation uninvited thinking that they might just affect the operation.

He said they have been working together with police officials in conducting anti-drug operations and have been supportive of the anti-drug campaign of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Wala man untay nadungog namong mga opisyal nga dunay collaboration with drug users and pushers. Nganong wala man mi tawaga? (There are no rumors against us officials that we collaborate with drug users and pushers. Why were we not contacted)?” he asked.

In previous police operations, he said the police officials would always contact and coordinate with them.

Philip Zafra, Association of Barangay Councils president, said he was surprised with the Director Ruiz’s statement about the Ermita barangay officials.

“I still have to talk to Capt. Rupinta regarding that, on what is the real score behind the allegation. I can’t just jump with a conclusion that the barangay didn’t cooperate since it has always been the clear stand of ABC that we should be at the forefront of the anti-drug campaign,” Zafra said.

As barangay officials, Zafra said they should be the ones who would have the most information about what’s happening in their areas and must coordinate with authorities.

He, however, said that he understood the barangay officials’ sentiments on the anti-drug campaign if there are threats on their lives.

But the least they could do, he said, would be to provide intelligence information to the police.

Despite the allegations, Zafra lauded the authorities for their successful raid.

Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella also expressed concern on the issue especially since the alleged “shabu tiangge” is only around 100 meters from the Cebu City Hall.

“Considering that it’s near to the center of government of the city, that is something that we should really be concerned about. So I hope the police would take cognizance of this problem. It’s a wake-up call,” he said.