Davao info officer sacked over drug raid

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The information officer of the city government here has been relieved from his post after attending a party at a beach resort, where illegal drugs worth P1.5 million were seized in a raid over the weekend.

“The former city information officer Jefry Tupas was involved in a drug raid last Nov. 6 in the municipality of Mabini, province of Davao de Oro,” Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said in a statement issued yesterday.

She confirmed that Tupas “signified his resignation on the same moment he was informed that he is terminated from work with the city government of Davao.”

Carpio did not elaborate on the details of the raid, saying these are “known only to PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) officers and Tupas.”

Tupas said he was at the party, but claimed he had left the place when PDEA agents and local police swooped down on the resort.

“I was there. I left early with my boyfriend and another friend,” Tupas said in an interview over ABS-CBN News.

Seventeen persons were arrested in the anti-drug operation.

Party drugs, marijiuana and shabu were among those confiscated by anti-narcotics agents.

Tupas reportedly deactivated his Facebook account following the incident.