Charles Teves
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is now probing the buy-bust operation on November 6 at a beach party in Davao de Oro, which Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s former information officer Jefry Tupas was in attendance.
On November 10, PDEA director general Aileen Lovitos said Tupas “is part of the investigation.”
According to Tupas, she and her friends were already out of the event before law enforcers came in, but this story was refuted by those arrested at the Sea Eagle resort in Barangay Pindasan, who mentioned Tupas’ name and her boyfriend’s in an interview.
Tupas pulled the “staff ni Inday Sara” and was allowed to leave the resort with her companions. Duterte-Carpio immediately fired her for “being involved in a raid” shortly after.
Arrested partygoers also claimed their pictures were taken with things taken from Tupas.
“It was a planned operation, and we were focused on our targets,” Lovitos said as she brushed off speculations about the raid being a cover-up, adding that only 17 attendees were considered targets.
Lovitos did not confirm whether Tupas was present at the time of the raid and didn’t say if she was on the PDEA’s watchlist.
Netizens, meanwhile, thought it was very unfair that someone like Tupas could get away with something very serious while those who are less fortunate were punished or killed.
Ba't di masagot nang diretso? Dahil ba Information Officer ni Sara Duterte si Tupas? Dahil pinatakas si Tupas, batay sa report ng mga nahuli sa raid? Dapat bang makalusot ang mga involved sa drugs na malalapit sa mga Duterte, pero dapat pinapatay ang mga drug user pag pobre? https://t.co/agtjb0hHdE
— Jerry B. Grácio (@JerryGracio) November 10, 2021
— Nimrod de la Peña (@nimrod_la) November 10, 2021
"'Pag ako ang nanalo, wala nang druga in 3-6 months." pic.twitter.com/euLZ5mZTSV
— The Professional Heckler™️ (@hecklerforever8) November 8, 2021
“I heyt drahgs!” Mahirap ba intindihin yung sinabi ni Mayor Kanor?
Walang takot ma-tokhang ang staff ni Inday? Hmmmm 🤔— 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 ☘ (@shamrocker_oo_) November 10, 2021
Inday, sariling bakuran niyo nga di niyo malinis. Malakas pa kamo ang loob na gawin sa Davao region. Tapos, ang close staff niya happens to be on the party and friends with the people na puntirya ng buy bust? All signs pointing south.
— Mikkhael (@markymarksworld) November 10, 2021
https://twitter.com/itsleonorrivera/status/1458455451654180864?s=20
Palakasan pala. #SaraAll staff para naman laya agad at hindi kulong o binabaril nang walang habas sa tokhang. #TatakCorrupt #TatakDuterte https://t.co/88Xjznd5i7
— Kulotissima (@kulotissima) November 10, 2021
