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Zamboanga del Norte 1st district Rep. Seth Frederick Jalosjos answers
questions in an interview Saturday, May 19, with the Philippine News Agency
in his residence in Dipolog City. (Photo by: Gualberto M. Laput)
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By Gualberto Laput
May 19, 2018, 8:53 pm
DIPOLOG CITY--Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra
has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to act on a House
committee report pointing to the proliferation of illegal drugs and
drug-related killings in Zamboanga del Norte that allegedly involved a
political scion in the province.
Zamboanga del Norte 1st district Rep. Seth
Frederick Jalosjos on Saturday showed to the Philippine News Agency a copy of
the memorandum dated April 23, 2018 of Guevarra, which was addressed to NBI
Director Dante Gierran and contained the status of the government's war of drugs
in the province.
Attached in Gueverra's order to Gierran are
copies of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs' investigation pertaining to
the proliferation of illegal drugs and drug-related killings in this province
that allegedly involved Governor Roberto Uy, his wife and son, and several
police officials.
Gov. Uy and his mayor-son, who were invited at
the committee hearing sometime last year, categorically denied the allegations
against them.
“These are just all politically motivated,” Gov.
Uy told the committee.
Guevara's order came after the Philippine Drug
Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Department of the Interior and Local
Government (DILG) reported that Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) now ranks first
in barangay “drug affectation” in the country.
At a presentation with local officials in
Dapitan City recently, Ricojudge Janvier Echiverri, Justice Assistant Secretary
for External and Legislative Affairs, revealed that drug affectation in Region
9's 1,904 barangays rose to 96.17 percent as of January this year, from 86.29
percent in July last year.
Echiverri added that from being ranked third in
July last year, Zamboanga Peninsula has overtaken the National Capital Region's
(NCR) 95.37 percent barangay drug affectation rate from July last year to
January this year.
“This data from the DILG and PDEA and the
findings of the House (Committee on Dangerous Drugs) investigation of illegal
drug trading and killings in Zamboanga del Norte, particularly in Dipolog City
and (the Municipality of) Polanco has prompted the (Justice) secretary to
initiate the probe,” Jalosjos said.
According to Jalosjos, the committee, which will
submit to the plenary its investigation report on Tuesday, found strong
indications that the governor; his wife, former Dipolog Mayor Evelyn Tang Uy;
and son, former Polanco Mayor Roberto Uy Jr. were involved in the proliferation
of illegal drugs and drug-related killings in the province.
Jalosjos, however, conceded that the committee
largely relied on the testimonies of brothers Rolly and Roger Daligdig, who are
confessed killers and drug pushers.
Rolly Daligdig claimed during the committee
hearings last year that he killed at least 14 persons on orders of former
Dipolog Police Chief Reynaldo Maclang, allegedly acting on the wishes of the
Uys.
The Daligdig brothers are now under the witness
protection program of the Department of Justice.
“I'm happy that even before the plenary has
adopted the committee report, Justice Secretary Guevarra has already acted on
it,” Jalosjos said. (PNA)
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