Ecija officials wage war vs narco-politics

GAPAN CITY ,Philippines  – Nueva Ecija officials, led by Gov. Aurelio Umali and Vice Gov. Jose Gay Padiernos have declared an all-out war against narco-politics and urged local chief executives in the province to help fight illegal drugs, starting with subjecting themselves to a drug test, even as they led thousands of Novo Ecijanos in an anti-drug fun run in this city’s streets.

Umali welcomed the call of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo for local officials to undergo drug tests to have moral ascendancy to lead the crusade against illegal drugs.

“I am for local executives to have the drug test a long time ago and my position has not changed,” Umali said, when asked if he would echo Robredo’s call.

Umali, along with Padiernos and board members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, led an estimated 5,000 Novo Ecijanos in an early morning five-kilometer run at the town plaza here for the run-for-a-cause activity dubbed “Takbo Laban sa Droga (Run against Drugs).”

Later, the governor, together with Mayor Christian Tinio and Vice Mayor Rodel Matias, launched the “fiesta caravan” of the Capitol wherein the provincial government provides various forms of services to local residents.          

The fun run is the second such activity spearheaded by the provincial government and the third anti-illegal drug mass action following a rally in Palayan City last February in Cabanatuan.

Padiernos, head of the provincial government’s newly created task force against illegal drugs, said yesterday’s run is one of the biggest statements in the anti-drug campaign.

He said the provincial government is hell-bent on eradicating the drug menace and proof of this was the allocation of P3.5 million for the operation of the task force.

He said that even when he was still campaigning for vice governor, he had asked all his fellow candidates to take tests. “With all due respect to Secretary Robredo, I was ahead of him in sounding the call for elective officials to take the test,” he said.

Peñaranda Mayor Ferdinand Abesamis, newly designated president of the provincial chapter of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, said, “I have no problem with that. In fact, there was a proposal before, that if you file your certificate of candidacy, you undergo the drug test. Whether elected or not, one must undergo the drug test,” he said.