“I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but I was a big favorite with the mafia.” –Brenda Lee
Iloilo City has its own ‘Bikoy,’ the anonymous self-confessed former drug syndicate member who has accused President Rodrigo Duterte’s family of involvement in the “narco-business,” who claimed to have “survived” after leaving the syndicate to live overseas. This person has shown to be knowledgeable of the ins-and-outs of an Iloilo City drug syndicate as they had become one of the most trusted in the organization.
The Ilonggo ‘Bikoy’ came to me on several occasions requesting I bring them on some of my international trips in the 1990s as a means to “escape the heat in Iloilo City and disappear thereafter.”
The individual and their family eventually left the country after a top-ranking official of the now-defunct Narcotics Command (Narcom) allegedly wanted them dead for “being a rat.” The Ilonggo ‘Bikoy,’ however, swore they were not a traitor and surmised the former Narcom big boss merely wished to silence them.
They also recalled “earning the ire” of former Metrodistrict Police Command official, Colonel Vic Neptuno, after a “big fish” slipped away during a dawn rain at the home of a suspected drug trafficker in Iloilo City’s Jaro district. It is believed the Ilonggo ‘Bikoy’ and the escaped drug trafficker were high school classmates. In addition, two cops working under Neptuno pointed to the Ilonggo ‘Bikoy’ as the one who allegedly tipped off the drug trafficker.
“Nakakarami na siya; sakit na siya sa ulo (They have been a headache to our operations),” Neptuno said, who was reportedly heard angrily complaining.
Meanwhile, the former Narcom official, who spent several months in jail for involvement with illegal drugs, once came to the Sun Star Iloilo editorial office dressed like a priest. Like the Greeks in the Trojan War, he was carrying a gift for one of our reporters, who had no idea about the Narcom official’s dark secrets.
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Among the most jittery and restless in these final days before the May 2019 midterm elections are the relatives and loved ones of the candidates. Some have sought help from social media and other public platforms to campaign for their kin, particularly those who are not faring well in the surveys. In other cases, relatives are going door-to-door campaigning for their candidate. The children, parents, cousins, uncles, and aunts of those seeking elective office have joined efforts in a frenzied attempt to woo voters and convince the public that their bet is the “real McCoy” when it comes to public service.
Some Filipino family members always want to share in the prestige and glory (whether big or small) achieved by their loved ones. During school or community competitions, they cheer and pray for victory and, when they make it, they are filled with pride, joy, and satisfaction – they feel the family was bestowed a sense of honor and that their reputation has been lifted and stimulated. However, when family members lose, they feel their self-esteem sink and suffer from emotional and mental strain.
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Alex P. Vidal, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo./WDJ