Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque (File photo by JOAN BONDOC / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The two drug-linked local chief executives who transferred to President Duterte’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) have already been “cleared” before joining the ruling party, Malacañang said Monday.
“I believe before they were allowed to join the PDP-Laban, their names were cleared,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.
On January 18, Iloilo Mayors Mariano Malones and Alex Centena joined the PDP-Laban in a mass oath-taking in the province.
Malones and Centena were among the alleged “narcopoliticians” in the drug list of President Duterte.
But Roque said the two have been cleared by police authorities.
“We will not knowingly allow any drug lord to join the administration party,” he said.
“I think they were cleared by the police agencies because it is the police agencies that provided the drug list,” he added.
In January 2017, Duterte met with mayors from all over the country in Malacanang and threatened to cut their ties to the illegal drug trade or they would die.
READ: Duterte threatens, curses at mayors during Palace meeting
The President has repeatedly said in his speeches that local politicians were included in his narcolist. Among them were mayors.