There is a disconnect between the declaration made by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) regional director Christian Frivaldo that San Miguel town has been cleared of illegal drugs and the actual records available at the Catanduanes Police Provincial Office.
According to PDEA, all 24 barangays in the town headed by Mayor Francisco Camano Jr. are no longer influenced or threatened by illegal drugs.
However, figures obtained by the Tribune from Camp Francisco Camacho say otherwise.
As of Oct. 3, 2019, the same records show that San Miguel has only 14 barangays which have been drug-cleared or declared unaffected.
These are Pagsangahan, Paraiso, Kilikilihan, Boton, District 1, Pacogon, Dayawa, Patagan Salvacion, Katipunan, Balatohan, Patagan Sta. Elena, District 2, Mabato and Tobrehon.
Why this is so, only PDEA or the Catanduanes police can explain.
This does not put a damper on the commendable efforts of Mayor Camano and the Community-Based Treatment and Rehabilitation Program (CBTRP) Core Team, as well as barangay captains in doing their best in getting PDEA’s approval.
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As for the other 10 towns, here are the drug-cleared/unaffected barangays as of same date:
Bagamanoc (8 of 19) – San Rafael, Hinipaan, Sta. Mesa, Bagatabao, Magsaysay, Sta. Teresa, San Isidro and San Vicente; Baras (3 of 29) - Abihao, San Miguel and Moning; Bato (4 of 24) - San Roque; San Andres, Sibacungan and Guinobatan; Caramoran (2 of 31) – Maysuram and Hitoma;
Panganiban (3 of 18) - Tibo and Taopon; San Andres (3 of 39) – Tibang, Wagdas and Datag; Viga (6 of 27) – Soboc, San Roque, San Isidro, Mabini, Villa Aurora and Tambongon; and, Virac (4 of 63) - Sogod Simamla, Sta Cruz, Antipolo del Norte and Antipolo del Sur.
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Not all members of the Catanduanes police are impressed with what Cpl. Dan Bagay.
One ranking police officer at the Virac police station is apparently taking the side of his superior, Maj. Bon Billy Timuat, whom Bagay has accused of confronting him at the parking lot of Virac Hometel last Oct. 1, 2019.
“P_____a!!! Wag kang epal, umalis ka dito, alam ko kung gaano ka karumi,” Virac’s acting police chief allegedly told him.
Timuat’s man says the numerous awards and commendations being bandied about by Cpl. Bagay is an ordinary thing, adding that he even had to remove some of his certificates from his promotion documents as it was already more than an inch thick.
He claims that Bagay has a conflict of interest as the corporal is selling expensive fish at his house in San Isidro Village while he was still with the Provincial Special Operations Team and leading missions against illegal fishing.
The Virac policeman, however, did not offer any evidence that Bagay was sourcing the fish he was selling from illegal fishermen.
The question now is what the report on the drive-by shooting at Bagay’s home would state.
Would it blame the New People’s Army or at least suspect their colleagues with an axe to grind against Cpl. Bagay?
With the controversial policeman now in Pandan, would the campaign against illegal fishing and illegal logging falter now that he is gone from PSOT?
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THE OTHER HAND. The college professor had just finished explaining an important research project to his class. He emphasized that this paper was an absolute requirement for passing his class and that there would be only two acceptable excuses for being late. Those were a certifiable medical illness or a death in the student’s immediate family.
A prankster student in the back of the classroom waved his hand and spoke up, “But what about extreme sexual exhaustion?”
As you would expect, the class exploded in laughter.
When the students had finally settled down, the professor froze the young man with a glaring look.
“Well, “ he responded, “I guess you’ll just have to learn to write with your other hand…”