DAVAO CITY-Mayor Sara Duterte confirmed Tuesday that she has fired the city information office head, Jefry Tupas following the involvement of the latter in a drug raid last Saturday (November 6) at a resort in Mabini town in Davao de Oro.
Duterte in a statement said that Tupas was terminated a day after the drug raid staged by the joint operatives of the Region 11 Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Saturday night (November 6).
“The former City Information Officer, Jefry Tupas, of the City Government of Davao was involved in a drug raid last November 6 in the Municipality of Mabini, Province of Davao de Oro. The details of the raid are known only to the PDEA officers in Davao de Oro and Ms. Tupas,” Sara said.
Tupas name accordingly was among the party-goers but not included on the list of those arrested persons involving call center agents and young professionals.
The raiding team arrested 17 people and seized an estimated P1.5 million worth of illegal drugs at a beach resort in Barangay Pindasan, Mabini, Davao de Oro on Saturday evening.
Joint operatives arrested 33-year-old Revsan Ethelbert Papay Elizalde from Catalunan Pequeño who was the subject of the operation.
Also arrested during the operation were Elizalde's alleged cohorts Eana Marie Oleya, Bryk Jiordan Archival, Kurk Tiubot, Paolo Guerrero, with 12 others identified as Jomark Aping, Ariel Bueno, Edel Caballero, Ronald Chuan, Fritz Dinopol, Tom Jhun Doblas, Mark Christopher Isip, Janlord Masong, Christopher Prudente, Jesus Ragas III, Giovanni Tabanao, and Jason Viduya.
According to PDEA spokesman Noli Dimaandal the suspects were caught in the act while having a drug session.
The raiding team was also able to recover another P1.4 million worth of illegal substances from them, including suspected shabu, party drug tablets/capsules, liquid party drugs and lysergic acid diethylamide.
According to Duterte, Tupas has already signified his resignation on Sunday, adding that on the same moment, Tupas was terminated from work with the city government of Davao.
“Last Sunday, Jefry signified his resignation and on the same moment he was informed that he is terminated from work with the City Government of Davao,” the mayor added.
In a statement, Tupas confirmed joining the party, but according to him he left after eating prior to the buy-bust operation.
“I was there because like the other guests, I was invited. But I left right after dinner with my boyfriend and another friend,” Tupas said.
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