Ecija gov dares PDEA: Name pols, cops in drug trade

CABANATUAN CITY, Philippines – Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali has challenged the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to name the politicians and law enforcers involved in the illegal drug trade in the province.

Presiding over a meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council here on Thursday, Umali called on PDEA regional director Jeoffrey Tacio to once and for all identify the biggest drug pushers and traffickers in Nueva Ecija.

Umali, who chairs the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC), said the PDEA should also provide classified information on the possible involvement of public officials and law enforcers.

Umali issued the challenge after Tacio presented the PDEA’s accomplishments during the first semester this year.

“You need to name names. Identify the biggest drug pusher. And are there public officials and policemen involved? And is there any clandestine laboratory in Nueva Ecija?” Umali said.

If PDEA could not release the names, he said its intelligence buildup would amount to nothing.

“And if you could not give us hard facts on illegal drugs, how can we possibly provide you with the needed support to solve the drug menace?” he asked.

Tacio did not publicly respond to the governor’s dare. But when pressed by journalists, he said five politicians as well as five to 10 law enforcers were involved in the illegal drug trade.

He, however, refused to identify those involved, saying they are still validating the information.

Umali expressed concern that this city, Nueva Ecija’s urban and commercial center, has emerged as the drug capital of the province.

He said he found it disappointing that while he heads the RPOC, peace and order problems need to be addressed in his own turf.

“How can you talk peace in the entire region when in the province where I belong I cannot give peace?” he said.

According to Tacio, Cabanatuan has the most number of drug-affected barangays with 13, followed by Sta. Rosa, San Jose City, and Sto. Domingo.