TACLOBAN CITY- Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar said that drug money has apparently been used by those in the illegal drug business to provide them protection.
Beltejar was reacting to the revelation of embattled Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. who tagged 72 personalities as their alleged protectors of their illegal drug activity in the region.
Espinosa had earlier executed an affidavit wherein he named his alleged protectors.
The Albuera mayor together with his son Kerwin is considered as the region’s top drug lords.
In his affidavit, Espinosa allegedly named four police generals, two police senior superintendents, five police superintendents, eight police senior inspector, three police chief inspector, one director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, three personnel from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, three Army officers and 15 police non-commissioned officers.
Espinosa also named a governor, a vice governor, four mayors, two vice mayors, six board members, a retired associate justice secretary, two barangay officials, two lawyers and three members of the media as under their payroll.
Beltejar said that if this will be proven true, they will not condone their acts as appropriate charges will be filed against them.
“Such behavior will not be tolerated and we’ll take every possible measure to ensure that they face appropriate charges in court,” the police regional director said.
Meantime, Beltejar said that he had issued an order to all his personnel to be always on alert and take precautionary measures as they continue on their crackdown on the illegal drugs activity.
“We always presume na syempre galit sila sa amin, so we need to be vigilant and to be very security conscious,’ Beltejar said. (JAZMIN BONIFACIO)
