17 Aug Judge from Siargao Named by President Duterte, Resigned!
Last August 7, Sunday, President Rodrigo Duterte publicly named drug personalities including police officers, government officials and members of the judiciary. One of the named judges was Judge Ezekiel Dagala of Dapa, Siargao Island.
On August 8, Dagala has presented his resignation to Jose Midas Marquez, Supreme Court Administrator.
Dagala was a municipal trial court judge in Dapa. He said in an interview with dxKS-RPN, local radio station, “I decided to resign my office after conferring with the office of the Supreme Court administrator.”
The government may conduct an investigation regarding his supposed drug trade involvement yet Dagala sent his resignation to dismiss any possible investigation. He fiercely denied accusations with him being involved with drugs, saying his income is just enough for his family.
Dagala admitted that he owned a small island in Del Carmen, Siargao and said that he bought it years ago for about P40,000. He added that he is open to any lifestyle check.
Early this week, a raid on the island without any warrant conducted by Inspector Audrey Rose Rivero, chief of police became the cause of conflict between Rivero and Dagala.
However, Rivero denied that they raided the island and insisted that they only conducted a regular inspection after a shooting incident was reported in the area. The island is known among residents saying that it holds a drug laboratory and some saying that it is where unspecified criminal activities happen, it was named as Isla Verde.
Dagala said that President Duterte’s list was incomplete as it lacked the names of “true” drug personalities in Siargao and Surigao del Norte.
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