Palace mum after solon warns not to drag PNoy in drug controversy

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang kept mum Sunday on a lawmaker’s warning to the Duterte administration not to drag former President Benigno Aquino III to the illegal drugs controversy following the Justice department’s claim that an official higher than Sen. Leila de Lima had profited from the payoffs at the national penitentiary.

 

“I would rather not react to those comments because we know that the relationship of the executive and Sen. Leila de Lima is sensitive,” Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar told state-run radio station dzRB Sunday.

 

Pressed if he is expecting other higher government officials to be unmasked during the succeeding congressional inquiries, Andanar replied: “I don't really know what the plans of Congress [are]. I also do not know the plans of DOJ (Department of Justice) Secretary (Vitaliano) Aguirre.”

 

“But he (Aguirre) did mention that he has some aces up his sleeve,” he added.

 

Last week, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre claimed that a member of “yellow” who is higher than De Lima benefitted from the corruption and the sale of narcotics inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).  

 

Yellow is the campaign color of the Liberal Party (LP), the political affiliation of Aquino and De Lima, during the 2016 polls.

 

READ: Noy keeps vow of silence on current affairs

 

Aguirre declined to identify the official, saying his agency is still conducting an investigation. He claimed, though, that the evidence they have gathered point toward the official.

 

De Lima, who has been accused of using drug money to bankroll her senatorial campaign, said Aguirre’s statement was “very outrageous” and “very outlandish.” She said the Justice department appears to be linking Aquino to the issue because the only official higher than her when she was Justice secretary was the former president.

 

Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, a member of LP, said the Duterte administration should be careful about tagging Aquino in the illegal drugs trade, saying he does not know how people close to the former president would react if that happens.

 

Andanar also refused to answer when asked whether Malacañang is convinced by the testimonies of NBP inmates who claimed that De Lima reaped millions from drug lords inside the penitentiary.

 

“It is up to the Lower House and the members of that committee to decide,” the Communications chief said.  

 

“The expectation is for Congress to do its job and its mandate to have all of these in aid of legislation investigation.”

 

De Lima is one of the more than 160 government workers accused by Duterte of having links to illegal drugs.

 

The government has launched a shame campaign against suspected drug protectors as part of its brutal campaign against illegal drugs, a problem that the president said has reached “pandemic proportions.” 

 

The drug lists disclosed by Duterte also included names of incumbent and retired local executives, uniformed officials and members of the judiciary. Another list containing about 1,000 names has been submitted to Duterte but he has yet to make it public.

 

Last Saturday, incoming Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Chairman Martin Diño revealed that about 50 celebrities are included in the list but declined to reveal their identities. Andanar, however, said he has no direct knowledge about the matter.