Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers —INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers agrees with Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte in his call to investigate individuals on the narco list, but he said the list would have to be verified first to make sure the names were not included for mere political purposes.
In an online interview on Friday, Barbers — the lead presiding officer of the House of Representatives’ quad committee — was asked about Duterte’s statements in relation to the four panels’ progress report.
The progress report, which Barbers presented before the House plenary last Wednesday, admits the need for a deeper probe into Duterte’s alleged links to smuggling illegal drugs. After the release of the report, Duterte said the quad committee should check on the individuals listed in the narco list, created during the term of his father, then-President Rodrigo Duterte.
“We actually recommended to PDEA [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency] to continue its investigation on the drug list submitted, because there are three lists — there’s a [Rodrigo] Duterte drug list, there’s a PDEA drug list, and then I don’t know where the other list came from. And this was discussed in the quad comm hearings if you recall,” Barbers told reporters.
“Director General [Moro] Lazo discussed this,” he went on.
“That Duterte drug list according to DG Lazo was not unverified or validated. And some of them were politically motivated as in the case of Mayor Jed Mabilog. And [in the case of] General Wesley Barayuga, after he was assassinated, he was included in the drug list… So that’s correct, we should validate, verify, and continue the investigation into that,” he added.
FILE PHOTO: Rep. Paolo Duterte —PHOTO BY CITY INFORMATION OFFICE
According to Barbers, the existence of three drug lists prompted the quad committee to ask the PDEA to check on the possible politicization of the narco list.
“I absolutely agree with that point. That’s why we must verify the drug list first because there are many fake entries. There are unverified and unvalidated names that were listed in that drug list… That’s why the quad committee recommended to PDEA now to validate all this information. That was one of our recommendations,” he noted.
On Wednesday, Rep. Duterte said he would be willing to face a more comprehensive investigation from an “impartial and credible body,” as long as it would not be based on hearsay testimony — like that of former Customs intelligence official Jimmy Guban.
Along with that, Duterte said Congress should look at individuals listed in the narco list.
“If Congress is truly serious about addressing the proliferation of illegal drugs, they must begin by investigating those listed in the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) watchlist during the Duterte administration. This includes scrutinizing their own members, especially those whose family members have been implicated in drug activities,” Duterte said.
“Selective justice and political grandstanding have no place in this fight. To clear my name, I have already filed several perjury charges against convicted felon Jimmy Guban. This is just the first step in ensuring accountability for those who spread falsehoods and attempt to tarnish reputations with fabricated stories,” he added.
READ: Paolo Duterte OK with probe, but says it must not be based on hearsay
Aside from Duterte, Barbers said the quad committee recommended refrained from recommending complaints against these key personalities:
- Davao Councilor Nilo Abellera Jr.
- former Presidential Task Force on Media Security Director Paul Gutierrez
- former Environment Undersecretary Benny Antiporda
- a certain Tita Nanie
- a certain Allen Capuyan
READ: Deeper probe needed into Alice Guo, Yang, Paolo Duterte – quad comm
Duterte’s link to the illegal drug importation was one of the topics during the first-ever quad committee hearing last August 16 in Bacolor, Pampanga, when Guban said that Antiporda sent Gutierrez to warn him that he would die if he name-drops the lawmaker, his brother-in-law Manases Carpio, and Michael Yang as involved in the missing illegal drugs in 2018.
READ: ‘Don’t name Paolo Duterte, Mans Carpio, Yang in 2018 shabu import mess’
Guban said Gutierrez, supposedly part of Antiporda’s staff, relayed the death threat and said that his child could be kidnapped if he would mention Duterte, Carpio, and Yang in the congressional hearings.
The Senate and the House were then hearing the issue of illegal drugs concealed inside magnetic lifters.
Duterte denied knowing Guban, noting that the former Customs official could be considered a star witness because he was cited for contempt by the Senate in the past.