CEBU, Philippines - All 80 barangays of Cebu City have submitted their respective lists of drug personalities in their area to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-7.
After giving all the barangays until March 15 to submit the list, PDEA-7 Director Yogi Filemon Ruiz said yesterday afternoon that the last barangay that submitted its list was Barangay Ermita around 3:30 p.m.
Past 11 a.m. yesterday, Ruiz said Barangays Sto. Niño, Kasambagan, Ermita and Tabunan were not able to submit the list on time and were given a chance to pass their respective lists around 12 noon.
“As of (Wednesday), 76 barangays already submitted their lists. Naay tulo (ka barangay) nag-tawag sila that they will be submitting this morning (Thursday) and mao nay atong gipaabot. We’re giving them a chance (to submit),” Ruiz told reporters.
The submission of each barangay’s lists of drug personalities started in February.
Ruiz said the barangays captains of Sto. Niño, Tabunan and Kasambagan called and informed him earlier that both have long lists of drug personalities and are printing those copies for the agency.
Barangay Ermita became controversial last January, after the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-7 ordered the suspension of Barangay Captain Felicisimo “Imok” Rupinta and the seven councilmen.
With this, Ruiz is confused as to who will be held liable for Barangay Ermita's lists of drug personalities.
“Mag-libog ko kinsa patubagon dinha kay wa may kapitan, that’s also one thing that I will consult sa akong lawyer, kung unsay next step ana,” Ruiz added.
Ruiz said they will furnish a copy their head office in Manila and the DILG for their assessments.
After the submission, Ruiz hopes that they can start their own course of action or strategy to arrest those drug personalities in the barangays soon. (FREEMAN)