DILG files administrative cases vs 46 politicians in ‘narcolist’

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday filed administrative cases against 46 incumbent politicians included in the so-called “narcolist” of the government.

The DILG filed the cases before the Office of the Ombudsman on the order of President Rodrigo Duterte.

According to the DILG, the 46 politicians would be facing administrative charges of grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, conduct unbecoming of a public officer, and gross neglect of duty.

The names of the politicians listed in the narcolist were revealed by the President on live broadcast via the government channel PTV-4 from Davao City on Thursday evening.

According to the DILG, the list includes 35 mayors, seven vice mayors, a provincial board member, and three members of the House of Representatives.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said the alleged involvement of the officials in illegal drugs was “evaluated and judiciously validated” by the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) headed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).

“The DILG’s involvement in the ICAD is impelled by its statutory role as general supervisor of local government units (LGUs) and their officials to ensure that they are performing their duties and functions under the law,” Año said in a statement.

Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, DILG spokesperson, said the filing of charges showed the ICAD’s confidence on the list.

“With the filing of cases with the Ombudsman, those in the initial narcolist that was released by the President will now have an opportunity to refute or rebut the allegations against them,” he said.

The DILG said that the list has one official each from Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Mimaropa, and Caraga Region, and; two each from Central Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula; three each from Central Luzon and Soccsksargen; four in Northern Mindanao, and; five in Western Visayas.

Meanwhile, Calabarzon and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao have 10 officials each in the narcolist. /kga/gsg/muf

READ: Duterte exposes 46 ‘narco politicians’