PDEA ready to name 93 local execs in drugs — official

Officials show media a narcolist during the press briefing at PDEA office in Quezon City on April 30, 2018. INQUIRER.NET / NOY MORCOSO

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is waiting for the President Rodrigo Duterte to give the go signal to release the names of 93 local government officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs, the agency’s head said Monday.

PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said the agency already had the list of erring government officials, whose positions ranged from vice mayor to congressional representative.

“I’ll wait for the order of the President,” Aquino said in a press conference at the PDEA headquarters in Quezon City, referring to the release of the names.

“We have 93 [names] from vice mayor up. Vice mayor, mayor, congressman, governor, vice governor. I have 93 in the narcolist, more on the PDEA list,” he added.

The PDEA earlier on Monday released to media a list of 207 barangay officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs.

Ninety of which are barangay captains and 117 are kagawads (councilors).

Aquino said the regions with the most number of officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs were Bicol with 70 executives; Caraga with 34; and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with 13.

He said authorities had yet to build up a case against the officials, saying mere validation by law enforcement agencies was not enough to charge them in court.

The PDEA and other law enforcement agencies are still validating the involvement in drugs of 274 other barangay officials and will release their names if their illegal activities are confirmed, Aquino said. /cbb

READ: PDEA names 207 barangay execs on drug list