Narco list out in time for local poll campaign

MANILA, Philippines — The list of supposed narco-politicians will be released before the start of the campaign period for local bets, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said yesterday.

Año said he is set to meet with Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director general Aaron Aquino and Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) chairman Catalino Cuy this week to thresh out the details of the release.

“In due time we will release it. The start of local election campaign will be on March 30, before that period we will make public the list,” Año said, adding that the validation of the narco list is ongoing.

“We do not want those innocent to get involved in this. It would be unfair to them,” Año added. 

President Duterte last month said he is open to the proposal to release the narco list to guide voters in the midterm elections. 

Año said after meeting with his counterparts, they will ask the President for instructions on the release. 

This is despite Aquino’s apprehensions over releasing the list, citing legal obstacles following the release of the barangay drug list last year. 

Still, PDEA said they are ready to heed the instruction of the President on the narcolist.

The latest figure of the PDEA showed there are still 83 narco-politicians in the list as it is only the President who can approve the pending delisting of six individuals. 

The narco-politicians in the list are mostly mayors, but there are also vice mayors, vice governors, governors, and even congressmen.