House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
One of the three congressmen who were included on President Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged list of narco politicians has been removed from the list.
Majority Leader Ilocos Norte Rep Rudy Fariñas made this announcement during session on Tuesday, as Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza attempted to block plenary debates on the death penalty while the names of the alleged narco congressmen were not released by the House leadership.
READ: No death penalty debate with 3 ‘narco-congressmen’ in House–Atienza
Fariñas said he will meet with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Isidro Lapeña and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Wednesday to discuss the veracity of the narco list.
Once the list is verified, Fariñas said he will submit to the House committee on ethics the names of the congressmen accused of being involved in the drug trade.
“Tomorrow, I will meet with General Lapena and Dela Rosa, and those who were mentioned, and we’ll go over that, and when there is solid proof, at least basis to go farther that that, then we will file it to the Committee on Ethics,” Fariñas said.
Fariñas said it would be unfair to name the alleged narco congressmen without checking the veracity of the list.
“We will reveal the names if there is basis,” Fariñas said.
He earlier said two narco congressmen were from Luzon while one came from Mindanao.
READ: Two Luzon solons in Duterte ‘narco list’–Fariñas
Former Pangasinan Governor and now Congressman Amado Espino Sr. was earlier included in Duterte’s drug matrix of the alleged Bilibid drug trade, until the President corrected himself and cleared the congressman.
Duterte admitted not verifying the drug matrix that linked Espino, board member Raul Sison and former provincial administrator Raffy Baraan to the alleged drug trade activities at the New Bilibid Prison that implicated his rabid critic Senator Leila de Lima. RAM/rga