Spokesperson: Peña’s statements are ‘all lies’

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The New People’s Army (NPA) Leonardo Panaligan Command criticized Moises Padilla Mayor and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Adviser Magdaleno Peña over the P72 million worth of shabu seized in San Carlos City last week.

In a statement forwarded by spokesperson Ka JB Regalado, he slammed the press conference called by Peña last Friday, claiming, the mayor was “only praising himself” over a drug operation that utilized law enforcement agencies, including the Philippine Army’s 12th and 79th Infantry Battalion.

Regalado called the operation “overkill” for its use of both police and military, which yielded six kilos of shabu and the suspects managed to escape.

He also questioned claims by one of the suspect’s kin, identified only as “Putot,” that he was already arrested in an earlier operation.

Regalado also accused the mayor of making politically-motivated statements after urging the province’s residents to elect “iron hand” leaders.

He referred to Peña’s statements as “all lies,” adding, “he could not even solve the problem of illegal drugs in his own town.”

Peña earlier accused the NPA of protecting illegal drug suspects, especially in the Negros Occidental first congressional district, along with several of the district’s local officials./DGB, WDJ