Tacloban City – More and more unscrupulous government officials are getting involved in the country’s illegal drug trade.
As the figures indicated in the 2014 Annual Report of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), 190 public officials, composed of 56 elected officials, 49 law enforcers and 85 government employees, were arrested for drug-related offenses.
“This is 37.68 percent higher than CY 2013 where 138 government officials were arrested for violating the anti-drug law and the highest since 2011,” Cacdac said, adding that the numbers has increased significantly each succeeding year.
Out of the 56 arrested elected officials, one was a municipal councilor in Matanog, Maguindanao, while 55 others were either barangay chairman or barangay kagawad.
Among the law enforcers, the highest ranking official arrested has the rank of Police Chief Inspector.
Most of the arrested government officials and employees were in Ilocos Region with 25, followed by Eastern Visayas with 22. Zamboanga Peninsula and Northern Mindanao have the highest recorded arrests of law enforcers at 10 and 8, respectively.
“It is alarming that more and more government officials and law enforcers are getting involved in illegal drug activities when they are supposed to implement the law, maintain peace and order in their area and promote the well-being of the people,” Cacdac said.
