Davao City information officer sacked over ‘involvement’ in drug raid

MANILA, Philippines — Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio announced Tuesday that she has terminated the employment of city's information officer, whom she said figured in a drug raid in the town of Mabini in Davao de Oro on November 6.

Former Davao City information officer Jefry Tupas earlier told Rappler that she had attended the party that was later on raided by police for drugs, but said that she left an hour before authorities came.

"Last Sunday, Jefry signified [her] resignation and on the same moment [she] was informed that [she] is terminated from work with the City Government of Davao," Duterte-Carpio said in a statement.

Tupas denied reports that she had resigned from her position after the raid, but did inform Duterte-Carpio about her presence in the party, according to Rappler.

The raid led by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency led to the seizure of P1.5 million of drugs — allegedly including LSD, shabu, party drugs and marijuana — and the arrest of 17 individuals.

"The details of the raid are known only to the PDEA officers in Davao de Oro and Ms. Tupas," Duterte-Carpio said in her short statement.

Duterte-Carpio’s father, President Rodrigo Duterte, has waged a brutal crackdown on illegal drugs since getting elected into office in 2016. The "war on drugs" has led to more than 6,000 deaths acknowledged by law enforcement agencies. 

The president won in 2016 on a campaign promise to eradicate drugs and criminality in "three to six months," leaning into the narrative that he had cleaned Davao City during his two-decades long service as its mayor. — Xave Gregorio