PDEA chief: Narco list needs ‘revalidation’

Director General Aaron Aquino of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency presents the list of barangay officials allegedly involved in drug trafficking. INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — Amid the possible release of the so-called “narco list” by next week, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Director General Aaron Aquino said on Tuesday that the list needed revalidation.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) might publicize the list next week. Panelo said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año already got a go signal from President Rodrigo Duterte.

According to Aquino, the list was still being revalidated.

“I cannot do it right now because we haven’t finished our revalidation of all the narco-politicians,” he said in a press conference.

READ: PDEA chief maintains stand against release of ‘narco list’

He said the list was trimmed down from 83 to 82, after Mayor Norodin Franco Salazar of Datu Salibo, Maguindanao, was arrested in February for charges of murder and illegal possession of firearms.

Of the politicians in the drug trade, 64 are seeking re-election, said Aquino.

The PDEA chief said he believed there were more politicians in the illegal drug trade, or in other illegal activities, than those on the list.

“[There are] some politicians na yumayaman. Hindi natin alam kung anong rason pero again sabi ko 82 lang iyan, but I personally know there are more,” he said.

(There are some politicians who got rich. We do not know the reason but again like I said, there are only 82 but I personally know there are more.)

READ: Politicians in ‘narcolist’ down to 82, says PDEA chief

“Marami pa kaming politicians na nasa national drug information system namin (We have more politicians in our national drug information system) but it serves just [as] a watchlist so we still need to validate,” he said.

Aquino acknowledged that building cases against the politicians was “really hard” which he said was one of the reasons for his hesitation in disclosing the list. He said however that he would abide by the decision of the President.

The DILG wants the release of the list during the election period to serve as a guide for voters on who they should not support in the coming polls.

Commission on Elections Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said that making such move would be “unfair” to politicians on the list, as it could be considered negative campaigning by the government. /cbb

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