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Panelo: Probability Duterte was wrong on 'narco generals' less than .00%

Philstar.com

July 7, 2016 | 5:56pm

MANILA, Philippines — So what’s the probability that President Rodrigo Duterte was given wrong information about the five active and retired police officers allegedly involved in illegal drugs?

For Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, the probability is “less than .00 percent” because the president has access to all information and has tipsters who can give him reliable reports.

“I think it (probability of the president receiving wrong information) is less than .00 percent. You are the president and you have access (to information). These have been studied and validated,” Panelo told reporters in an interview Friday.

“If you notice, he knows a lot of things. Many trust Mayor Duterte when he was mayor (of Davao City). He gets a lot of information and these are validated all the time,” he added. “Malabo yan (It is highly unlikely).”

Panelo assured the public that Duterte would not tolerate anyone who deliberately feeds him with wrong information.

“If it is true according to them that the president was fed with wrong information, it would come out,” he said.

When asked if Duterte would apologize in case it is proven that the information he got was wrong, Panelo said: “Well, I think anyone who commits a mistake should accept it. But in this particular thing, I think he will not name any person if he has no valid basis.”

On Tuesday, Duterte identified five police generals who allegedly have ties with illegal drug syndicates.

RELATED: 5 ‘narco generals ’ named

Tagged in the narcotics trade were former Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo, Jr., retired police general and newly elected Daanbantayan, Cebu Mayor Vicente Loot, former National Capital Region Police Office head Chief Superintendent Joel Pagdilao, former Quezon City Police District director Chief Superintendent Edgardo Tinio and Western Visayas regional director Chief Superintendent Bernardo Diaz.

Duterte said he still has other police officers on his list but he is still validating whether they are indeed protectors of illegal drug dealers.

RELATED: Bato: More narco cops to be named

No violation

The five have denied being protectors of illegal drug syndicates and are hopeful that they would get a fair trial. Some of them even claimed that the president was given “poison information.”

Critics, however, claimed that Duterte violated due process when he revealed the names of the five active and retired police officers.

Panelo, however, said Duterte did not violate any law in making the announcement.

“When you say due process, you give respondent the chance to explain his side whatever accusation anyone has made. If you recall, the president has been asking the people he has named to come out in the open and explain their side or stop whatever they’re doing illegally,” Panelo said.

READ: PNP chief Dela Rosa turns over 3 ‘narco cops’ to Napolcom

“He’s been doing that longest of time I think almost the year during the campaign. But nobody came up,” he added.

Panelo said Duterte was even giving those tagged in illegal drugs an opportunity to prepare their defense.

“He (Duterte) was, in fact, giving them the opportunity to explain their side. That is what they’re doing now. They went to the media to explain their innocence,” the president’s chief lawyer said.

Panelo also denied that the five police officers were being subjected to trial by publicity.

“Trial by publicity will come only if the media only relays the side of those making the accusation and not (the) side of the accused,” he said.

“We were witness to the fact that immediately after (they were named), they went to the media and media (aired) their positions.”

Panelo said the evidence against the five would come once formal charges are filed.

Asked to react to claims that the police generals are just victims of black propaganda, Panelo said: “Let’s see…The evidence will have the final say whether it is true or not. Meanwhile, let us wait.”