TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – A commissioner of the National Youth Commission (NYC) is supporting the move to make public the list of politicians who are running in the midterm elections who are linked to the illegal drug trade.
Victor del Rosario, NYC commissioner for the Visayas said that by making public the narco list, young voters, in particular, would know that they should not vote these candidates as they are involved in the illicit activity.
According to Del Rosario, Malacañang, through the Department of Interior and Local Government, will do a great service to the 19 million young voters who will cast their votes in the May 13 elections if they will make public the narco list .
“(This) will guide our voters, especially the youth. We cannot allow destroyers of the society to be in the government,” Del Rosario, who is from Naval, Biliran, said.
“We cannot allow narco politicians to be in power. We know very well that the youth is the number one victim of this drug menace,” he added.
Del Rosario said that with these candidate-politicians losing on their bids, this will result to the decline or stop of their illegal drug operation as they will also lose their clout or influence.
“In the name of the 30 million Filipino youth, as NYC commissioner, ako’y nagpapasalamat sa ating mahal na Pangulong Duterte in his commitment to release the narco list,” he said, expressing his support on this move.
On Tuesday, during his visit to this city, opposition Otso Diretso senatorial candidate Jose Manuel ‘Chel’ Diokno expressed his alarm on the move to make the narco list public.
Diokno, a human rights lawyer and advocate, said that the list could be used as a witch hunt to pin down the ‘perceived enemies’ of the administration.
“Pagnagamit yung list na yan ngayon elections, very likely, lahat ng perceived na kalaban nila isasama sa list,” he added.
Diokno said that instead of baring its narco list, the administration should instead strengthen the justice system by filing appropriate charges against those suspected to be involved in the illegal drug trade if they have solid evidence against them.
“Kung talagang may basis sila, sampahan nila ng kaso, prosecute them at ikulong and that should happen whether there is an election or not,”Diokno said. /muf