Former Calinog, Iloilo mayor Alex Centena – who was accused of being a drug protector by former president Rodrigo Duterte – has been given a government post under the Marcos administration.
President Bongbong Marcos appointed Centena as the new National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Commissioner for Island Groups and the Rest of the Visayas.
NCIP Region VI & VII welcomed the appointment of Centena, who took his oath before Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III on May 27.
“With your experience and leadership, we are confident in reaching new milestones and deepening the impact of our work,” it said in a statement.
“You have our full support as we move forward together in service of our communities,” the NCIP Regional Office added.
Centena was among the mayors included in the so-called “narco-list” released by Duterte in August 2016. He lost the mayoral race in 2019.
In a previous interview, Centena denied Duterte’s accusation, saying: “I’m not a drug protector, never was and never will be. Konsensyahan gid ako kon matuod nga gaintra ako ukon nagaprotektar.”IMT
