No monitored incidents of campaign funding from illegal drugs in Cebu City

Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office. | file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines —  Police have not monitored incidents of campaign funding through illegal drugs in Cebu City but they are not discounting the possibility especially with the 2022 elections drawing near.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said that so far, they have not received reports that proceeds from the illegal drugs business here are used to fund campaign activities of candidates.

Parilla said that they are not lowering their guards as they continue to intensify their intel monitoring to make sure this does not happen in Cebu City.

“Even before, sa mga previous elections, wala tay report nga nadawat nga ang kita sa drugs maoy gigamit sa politika. In Cebu City, wala tay report,” Parilla said.

(Even before, in previous elections, we have not received reports that proceeds from drugs are used for politics. In Cebu City, we have no reports of that.)

Parilla said that unlike before, the city has no big time drug personalities as they are mostly in jail. That is why they are also seeing a new trend that some of the arrests made in operations were of newly identified personalities.

“Kining mga madakpan man gud, di ni sila mahurot. Kasagaran nato dinhi kung naay madakpan naa nasay mupuli dayun. Mostly mga newly identified,” he added.

(Our arrested individuals, they won’t be run out. In most cases, once we arrest one personality, another will take over. Mostly are newly identified.)

With this concern, Parilla said that they will continue their drug operations against these drug personalities.

READ: Police attack supply, demand sides of illegal drugs in Cebu City

/bmjo