Isabela Mayor Joselito Malabor recently revealed he has received threats to his life from suspected drug lords, claiming they are a response to his “strong stance against the illegal drug trade.”

“They are not from here, they are from outside the town,” the mayor noted.

Malabor said precautions have since been put in place to ensure those threatening his life do not proceed with their plans. He also said local police will be conducting more stringent checkpoint procedures.

The mayor called on the public to cooperate in the campaign against illegal drugs by reporting “suspicious-looking” individuals.

“The threat to society [posed by] illegal drugs is still there and we have to help each other to combat this,” he explained.

Malabor has also activated the Municipal Sports and Youth Development Council as a means of dissuading the youth from engaging in illegal drugs.

Municipal police, meanwhile, are currently validating reports that illegal drug dealers are using private vehicles, such as vans, to distribute their illicit substances; a deviation from their traditional practice of using a house as a drop-off point, often referred to as “bagsakan.”

The mayor said, based on current monitoring, the said vehicle visits certain areas, wherein their clientele acquire the goods through mobile distribution./DGB, WDJ