A former lady municipal worker and close aide has accused Carmen Mayor Conchita De los Reyes of illegal drug trade and addiction. The expose of Razilyn Rosalinda Onez Tecson is perceived to be the most damaging yet to the gubernatorial bid of the female standard bearer of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) and Bag-ong Bol-anon. De los Reyes was at the receiving end of a serious accusation after she earlier named Gov. Edgar Chatto and his fellow provincial officials of having a hand in the proliferation of illegal drugs in Bohol. “Usa na sija ka (drug) user or addict…Kani si Mayor Che,” Tecson alledged hiding no fear in her allegations. She was a former municipal-paid computer encoder but at one time served as a personal assistant to the mayor. Accompanied by her husband, Tecson, a self-confessed drug user, suddenly appeared at DYRD and volunteered to be interviewed on the top-rated Inyong Alagad program hosted by veteran radiomen Boy Guingguing, Fred Araneta and Chito Visarra.

Guingguing is also the publisher of the local weekly Bohol Sunday Post while Araneta is the president of the Bohol Tri-Media Association (BTMA). Visarra is likewise a BTMA officer. “O, ahong barugan na, sir, nga usa sija ka drug user. Hate sija’g drugs pero sija usa ka addict nga baje ug immoral nga pagkabaje aning lalawigan sa Bohol,” Tecson said in the interview. De los Reyes has not yet been heard on any radio program denying the grave accusation and clearing her name. The mayor has neither submitted herself to a drug test since Chatto made the challenge two weeks ago resulting from her own serious allegation implicating the governor and his “development team” to illegal drug trafficking. Separate Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital and Bohol PNP Crime Laboratory drug tests found the governor negative for shabu and other prohibited substances. The uniform results effectively reaffirmed Chatto’s moral ascendancy in both leading the province and the fight against the drug evil of society. Tecson believed De los Reyes’ Beauche whitening soap business is a mere front of her illegal drug trade.

“Beauche,” whose factory is in Cavite, is said to be derived from “beauty” and “che,” the mayor’s nickname. Tecson labeled De los Reyes soap as “shabon.” Yet unconfirmed reports indicate that even De los Reyes would not use her own product. Tecson, who had worked for the mayor until the first quarter of last year, would want to know the legitimate source of De los Reyes’ wealth since her soap does not sell well. In contrast, according to former Mayor Manuel Molina, shabu is selling like “hot cake” in Carmen alone. Tecson said she used to accompany the mayor in expensive shopping in Manila. Through the radio interview, the whistleblower begged the appropriate authorities for protection, claiming that her life and those of her husband and parents are under threat. Notwithstanding the death threats, Tecson vowed to stand by her words. Tecson admitted having not actually seen the mayor in a “pot session,” but she also claimed that “niangkon man jud na sija (De los Reyes) kay nag-estorya man mi sa wa pa sija ka lingkud (sa pagkamayor).” She recounted being asked by the mayor if she is “also” a drug or shabu user.

“Sa panahon nga nagkuyog mi, sir, wa ko ka kita nga nigamit sija pero sa panahon before pa diri sija sa Tagbilaran nag-istambay, ultimo mga tawo (nakahibawo). User na sija, ijang kauban naa pa hangtud karon,” Tecson said in the radio interview. According to Tecson, among De los Reyes’ then “shabu buddies” were a woman who is now married to a lawyer and another lady who is now in the United States. Tecson is presently on bail for a drug case, but she claimed her raid and arrest were both illegal in the absence of any warrant. She said the evidence supposedly taken from her was “planted” by the members of a SWAT team allegedly bribed by the mayor at P25 each. Tecson claimed this was later confessed to her by the SWAT team, whose members she identified as PO1 Jeremy Salazar, PO2 Timbal, PO2 Celes and PO3 Cara-il. They were then under a certain Olaivar but who was not in the raid, Tecson said. She had a fever during the raid and arrest. “Ningsulti sila, sir, kay nalooy sila nako. Nakonsensiya sila kay gisugo ra sila,” Tecson told the DYRD anchormen. Long before the raid, Tecson recalled that the mayor showed to the municipal workers during their weekly flag ceremony and convocation a sachet of shabu and even braggingly asked them if they had ever seen shabu.

CAUSE OF WRATH

Tecson believed she earned the wrath of the mayor for her refusal to manage De los Reyes’ illegal drug business. “Akoy paguniton sa iyang illegal drugs nga negosyo,” Tecson emphasized. “Because I refused, my husband was threatened by the mayor’s twin sister to be killed,” Tecson alleged. De los Reyes has designated her twin sister as municipal market administrator. Before her arrest, Tecson was suddenly suspended from her municipal work as an encoder. It surpised Tecson to learn that the mayor got irked because she (Tecson) helped her nephew who was apprehended for driving without license an unregistrered vehicle. Tecson said she decided to stop working as both municipal encoder and mayor’s close aide. Tecson said she now “offers” herself for a good cause despite the mounting risk because she could no longer bear the “kasakit nga gidangatan nako ug sa akong pamilya.” Even the schooling of her children has been affected by the threats. She lost an eight-month-old grandchild whom she raised since two months. The child died while she was in prison.

Further, Tecson alleged that the mayor also manufactured fake money, which she used in the 2010 election. But the people of Carmen did not suspect the mayor for it because who could when De los Reyes has been known to be so rich, according to Tecson. “Dili ni pasangil ako-a, sir. Unsay akong nahibaw-an nga naa ko sa ijang kiliran, sir, ako andam ko mosulti, sir, kay wala ko mamakak. Tinuod ning tanan,” Tecson told the Inyong alagad anchors. Moreover, Tecson accused the mayor of graft and corruption. “Ang mga tawo nija saa man na nagkuha og sweldo sa munsipyo man. Kami, pareha naho, kanang ahong mga kauban naa sa ila nagtrabaho, sija ba diay gasweldo nga ang munsipyo man. Mao nay di corrupt? Labaw pa sija sa kawatan sa tanan!” Tecson blasted the mayor. (Ven rebo Arigo)