By Lynde Salgados
Correspondent

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has confirmed today the involvement of her information officer in a drug raid last Saturday in Mabini town, Davao de Oro.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Duterte-Carpio declared that the details of the raid are known only to the raiding team of the Philippine Drug Enforce Agency in Davao de Oro and Tupas.

“Last Sunday, Jefry signified his resignation and at the same moment, he was informed that he is terminated from work with the City Government of Davao,” Duterte-Carpio’s statement reads in part.

Tupas was spotted at the Mabini, Davao de Oro, a beach party that was raided for an estimated P1.5 million worth of drugs by the PDEA around 9 pm, Saturday.

Party photos with Tupas have also been going around social media that he never denied when interviewed by the press.

“I was there, that’s me in the photos,” a Rappler report quoted Tupas as saying.

At least 17 persons, including the party host, Revsan Ethelbert Papey Elizalde, were caught in the raid that primarily targetted the 33-year-old Elizalde of Catalunan Pequeño, Davao City, who allegedly sold a sachet containing a violet capsule believed to be a party drug and marijuana wrapped in cellophane to an undercover agent.

Authorities reportedly seized some 77 pieces of LSD, 10 grams of shabu, some 722 tablets and capsules of party drugs, nine bottles and two vials of suspected liquid party drugs, and 200 more grams of marijuana.

Nabunturan town police chief Captain Janus Mac-liing said those arrested were now in the custody of the PDEA Davao regional office after they went through an inquest in Nabunturan.

In the same Rappler report, Tupas explained that he was just a guest of Elizalde, whom he described as a businessman engaged in construction.

But the Davao City information officer said he left the party at 8 pm with her boyfriend – or about an hour before the raid – since he had work early the following day (a Sunday).

“Since I don’t drink colored drinks, ako na ang nag-drive pabalik,” Rappler quoted him as saying.