Davao City mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio led the Hugpong ng Pagbabago’s campaign sortie in Pasay City on Monday, March 4, 2019. Darryl John Esguerra/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Pro-administration senatorial candidates under the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) party on Monday backed the plan of Interior Sec. Eduardo Año to release the so-called “narcolist” in the run-up to the midterm elections in May.
HNP’s chairperson, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, said that while she supports the release of the list, candidates should also be given the chance to explain their inclusion or supposed involvement in the drug trade.
“Ako personally dapat siguro pag lumabas ka sa narcolist, the NBI, the PDEA and the PNP should make sure na mayroong basis kung bakit ka nailagay sa narcolist,” Duterte-Carpio told reporters in an interview.
“For example Juan dela Cruz nandun sa listahan, ilalagay din dun kung bakit nandun siya sa listahan so the candidate or the person can explain kung ano ‘yung mga nailagay doon,” she added, adding that there’s no law prohibiting PDEA to release the “narcolist.”
Journalist Jiggy Manicad echoed the presidential daughter’s stand, stressing that information in the list should be “airtight” to ensure impartiality.
“I think kung may basehan, kung may ebidesnya dapat ilabas pero dapat mahigpit yung verification,” Manicad said.
“So ako pabor para malaman ng tao ‘yung dapat iboto para talagang mawala na sila sa political cycle, sa political life natin as long as merong ebidensya, verified na listahan at talagang kumpleto ‘yung detalye,” he added.
For his part, former police chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa expressed confidence that the agencies in the forefront of the administration’s war on drugs have already verified the list.
“Sa tagal na niyan from the original list, naglabas ng bago, then after three years of…magthree years na ‘yung monitoring ng PDEA at PNP dyan, malaki ang expectation ko na finally ano na ‘yan validated na ‘yan at nasala na nang husto,” he said.
Last week, Año said he would meet with officials of the PDEA and the Dangerous Drugs Board before releasing the names of politicians with alleged links to the illegal drug trade.
Año also said that he would make sure that the list would be thoroughly vetted as ordered by President Duterte. /je
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