CATARMAN, CAMIGUIN — A barangay kagawad, an elected official sworn to serve and protect his community, was caught red-handed peddling illegal drugs in a buy-bust operation launched by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Catarman, Camiguin Province.
The suspect, identified as “Wawad,” 31, a bachelor and active barangay councilor of Barangay Bonbon, was arrested in Purok 1, Barangay Sto. Niño, Catarman. Law enforcers seized from his possession five heat-sealed transparent sachets containing a total of 6.5 grams of suspected shabu, an Android phone, a black wallet, and marked buy-bust money.
The operation was carried out by the PDEA Regional Office X – Camiguin Provincial Office, in coordination with the PNP PDEU Camiguin and the Catarman Municipal Police Station.
Instead of setting an example as a community leader and defender of public order, the barangay official shamelessly immersed himself in the very trade he was duty-bound to oppose. His arrest not only exposes his double life but also strikes at the heart of public trust, as barangay officials are considered the frontline implementers of the government’s anti-drug campaign at the grassroots level.
Charges for violating Article II of Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, are being prepared against him.
The incident underscores a grave betrayal of public trust: when the very officials tasked to safeguard communities from the scourge of illegal drugs turn into enablers and profiteers of the trade, the fight becomes doubly difficult. This arrest serves as a harsh reminder that no position or title can shield anyone from accountability when they themselves become the criminals they vowed to fight.