Dela Rosa seeks probe into alleged drug links of gov’t officials

Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa is seeking a Senate investigation into the alleged involvement of elected government officials and workers in illegal drug trade.

This is to ensure that government offices are free from illegal drugs, according to Senate Resolution No. 1163 filed last week by Dela Rosa.

“No one is above the law, including elected government officials and employees,” read the resolution.

“They must be, at all times subjected to the highest standards of qualification and fitness to serve the people, including their heart and wellness free from the influence of illegal drugs and other prohibited substances,” it added.

The resolution tasked the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs headed by Dela Rosa to conduct the probe.

As police chief of then President Rodrigo Duterte, Dela Rosa spearheaded the controversial war against illegal drugs.

“Notwithstanding the accomplishment of Marcos administration in their bloodless war on dangerous drugs, issues concerning the security breach in the Philippine Drug Enforcement Authority (PDEA) have emerged,” his resolution also noted.

The alleged PDEA leaks that linked high-profile personalities to illegal drug trade was investigated by Dela Rosa’s panel last May.

He also mentioned President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s report in his last address to the nation in July that out of the more than 6,000 arrested high-value targets of his administration, 440 were government officials, 42 were uniformed personnel, and 77 were elected officials.

READ: Marcos on drug war gains: No killings involved

“It is alarming that more than 7% of the total number of high-value 10 targets is composed of government employees, thereby underscoring the need to ensure that government offices, occupied by those most expected to adhere to the law, are truly drug-free workplaces,” the senator then said in the resolution.

“Barely a few weeks ago, social media was taken by storm with the emergence of a woman, who, in an interview with a vlogger, disclosed some allegations regarding the drug use of high-ranking elected officials in the Philippine government,” he added.

Dela Rosa stressed that provisions of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 mandate “a higher responsibility to government officials and employees to follow.”

READ: Duterte, dela Rosa invited to House hearing on drug war deaths

“As such, the law imposes the maximum penalties available for those workers in the government who have committed unlawful acts and later found guilty of such,” he pointed out.

There is an ongoing investigation in the House of Representatives into the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs. Both Duterte and Dela Rosa have been invited to attend the probe.