Interior Undersecretary Martin Diño claimed that more than 50 percent of the personalities in the barangay “narco list” are running in the May 14 polls. Diño, undersecretary for Barangay Affairs, brought this up at a press briefing in Camp Crame on Thursday, four days before the Synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Elections on Monday. Some 207 barangay officials — 90 of whom are barangay chairpersons and 117 are councilors — are reportedly on the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)’s recent list of alleged drug peddlers. Diño claimed that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will actively pursue those on the narco list even if they win in the elections. He said this is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to rid communities of illegal drugs.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 10, 2018 07:41 UTC