The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) should go after barangay officials in Boracay who are reportedly extorting money from local businesses in exchange for IDs to non-residents, Senator Panfilo Lacson urged on Sunday.

Lacson discovered this scheme when he visited the famous island last week, days before the scheduled six-month closure of Boracay starting April 26.

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“Ang hiningi raw P400,000 para mabigyan ng IDs ‘yung kanyang mga empleyado,” Lacson said over a dzBB interview.

“‘Di ba no ID, no entry? So ito na ‘yung hinahanap-buhay ‘dun ng nga opisyal. Malaki. Raket ‘yun. Sinamantala nila ‘yung order ni Presidente na wala makakapasok dun kundi resident,” he added.

The lawmaker likewise called on the Senate to include the incident in its ongoing investigation on Boracay issues, as well as the DILG.

“Trabaho ng DILG na mag-counter intelligence dun at kung kinakailangan magsagawa sila ng entrapment operations,” he said.

Lacson noted that the extorted money could be used to fund the campaign of local village officials in the upcoming May 14 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

The issuance of IDs was directed by the DILG. Starting April 26, only workers and residents with IDs would be allowed to enter the island.

The IDs cost only P100 for renewal and P200 for new applicants. /cbb

READ: Boracay folk scramble to get IDs as closure nears

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