President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presides over the 34th Cabinet Meeting at Malacañan Palace on Feb. 6, 2019. (Photo by ALFRED FRIAS / Presidential Photographers Division)
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said he was in favor of releasing, ahead of the May 2019 polls, the list of politicians involved in illegal drug trade, as requested by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
In an interview, a reporter asked him about the issue and he said yes. But he added: “It’s up to Año to decide on that. I do not interfere in his job.”
He was referring to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.
DILG Assistant Secretary Jonathan Malaya earlier said that the agency was just waiting for Duterte’s “go signal” to release the list.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo had also said that Duterte would allow the release of the list as long as it had been verified.
“Hindi ba si Presidente na noon ay naglabas na rin noon? So it goes without saying, kung si Presidente mismo naglabas,” Panelo said in a press briefing, when asked if the Palace would support the release of the list. “Ang ayaw niya ‘yung magre-release ka na wala namang basis.”
[Wasn’t it the President himself who once released a list. So it goes without saying, if President himself released it. What he doesn’t want is release a list without basis.]
He said authorities had already made a mistake once and had probably “learned their lesson.” So this time they would make sure to verify any list before releasing it.
“Kailangan yung basis mo, sufficient enough. Kasi ikaw ang magre-release noon, ikaw rin ang babalikan,” he added.
[You need a sufficient basis. You’re the one releasing it. So you’re going to held responsible for it.]
The Philippine National Police (PNP) earlier said that the list of narco-politicians would be released soon ahead of the 2019 midterm polls. /atm
READ: Narco-politicians’ list coming soon – PNP