MALOLOS—Mayor Christian D. Natividad on Thursday ordered all barangay captains, councilmen, and barangay tanod (watchmen) to undergo drug tests and submit the results to his office immediately.
Natividad, a lawyer, was fuming after city police operatives on Tuesday killed four members of a drug-robbery syndicate and arrested a barangay tanod whose lair was less than a kilometer away from the city hall here.
He also ordered a random drug test for all city employees and tasked city police chief Supt. Henryl L. Bruno to strictly supervise and monitor the conduct of the drug tests for all city officials.
The mayor is the son of the late Bulacan Rep. Teodulo Natividad, who authored the creation of the Dangerous Drugs Board four decades ago.
“Our policemen are almost not sleeping, and there are some of them who got injured, and yet there is a barangay tanod who was supposed to be our partner against drugs that was arrested,” Natividad told local newsmen.
Police identified the slain suspects as Ronald Gaben alias “Tonton,” Paquito Bernardo, Angelito dela Cruz alias “Toto,” and Rodolfo Roberto alias “Dolfo,” all residents of Barangay Caniogan.
The arrested barangay tanod was identified as Rodolfo Leoncio, who was unharmed.
In a report to Bulacan acting police director Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat Jr., police said the suspects were cannibalizing a stolen motorcycle when police swooped down on the gang’s hideout owned by “Tonton” Gaben, said to be the leader.
An hour-long gunbattle ensued at the hideout in Barangay Caniogan, as the suspects scampered in different directions after they were surprised by the lawmen.
Police recovered a .45 cal. pistol, a 12-gauge shotgun, two improvised shotguns, one overall uniform said to be used in the gang’s robbery activities, three stolen motorcycles, and undetermined grams of suspected shabu and drug paraphernalia.
“In spite of our serious and relentless grassroots campaign to eradicate the drug menace in the city, the fact that some tanod who are the first line of watchkeepers in the barangay are drug-infected is really alarming,” Natividad said.
Bulacan is back in the news for drug-related crimes, as two weeks ago, five members of the Carlos family were raped and massacred in the City of San Jose Del Monte, alleged carried out by drug-crazed suspects—three of which have been found dead, supposedly slain by vigilantes. With PNA
