SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – Mayor Reynaldo Flores of Naguilian, La Union said God is guiding President Duterte for naming him as ‘high value target’ among the more a thousand illegal drug personalities because it would speed up the reinvestigation on the case of the shabu laboratory discovered in his town.
“There is a divine intervention on this situation because I was again named by the President, now as a ‘high value target.’ If you would analyse, (the President’s pronouncement), with more than a thousand individuals in the list, I was the first to see by the President. I was very positive that he is being used by the Almighty to remind the reinvestigation of the shabu laboratory which I firmly believe that there are other persons involved aside from those convicted,” Flores said.
In his message to the troops at 5th Infantry Division in Cauayan, Isabela Saturday, Duterte ordered the military to go after the targets, including Flores, who was identified as a “high value target” in the list.
“Why I was named again, because I believe the case on the shabu laboratory was not completed that’s why we want the authorities to open it again to find out really the truth on this matter and who are those involved in this illegal activity,” Flores added.
Flores said he was shock with the President’s pronouncement because the investigation against him is now undergoing when he was first named in public by Duterte along with four other personalities in La Union.
Flores said he has submitted himself already for investigation with the police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Aside from Flores, Duterte also identified in his list the names of Mayor Martin De Guzman of Bauang town, Mayor Dante Garcia of Tubao town, and former Congressman Eufranio Eriguel, but all denied their involvement in any illegal drug activities.
“I don’t want to blame the President. This is the work of God. If I was mentioned again, then media and investigators will come to me. So what I would tell them again is about the shabu laboratory,” he said.
Flores was worried with his security because ‘high value targets’ are the priority of police and military in their operations against illegal drugs.
Recently, Flores said already revealed in his affidavit he submitted at Camp Crame the mastermind behind the establishment of the shabu laboratory discovered by authorities on July 2008 in Barangay Bimmotobot in Naguilian town.
“I know a lot of (hidden) information about the involvement of several personalities on the shabu lab because I was one of those who conducted the raid against the illegal facility. We are the ones who busted that (facility) and we know the story behind it,” Flores said.
Flores said he thanked Duterte for naming him as the number one mayor in his list because it gives him the opportunity to tell everything about the facility including the mastermind.
He said that aside from former Police Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo, the convicted lab protector, there are still bigger personalities behind the illegal activity. By Dexter A. See
