THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) will begin Monday, October 15, to adjudicate intelligence reports that placed 85 politicians on the agency's drug watchlist.
PDEA director Aaron Aquino said Sunday, October 14, that he has proposed to President Rodrigo Duterte that they adjudicate the allegations against the so-called narco- politicians.
“Pumunta ako kay Presidente, sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Sir, it’s a nightmare. I don’t know what will I do with this.. thick na listahan. I proposed na lahat ito ay iadjudicate natin’,” he said.
The list of narco-politicians went down to 85 after eight were killed.
Among those killed were Datu Saudi Ampatuan Mayor Samsudin Dimaukom who was killed in an alleged shootout with the police in 2016; Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Jr. who was killed by CIDG operatives inside his detention cell at the Baybay sub-provincial jail in Leyte on November 2016; Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog who was killed during a police raid in his residence in July 2017; and Tanauan Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili who was shot dead while singing the national anthem during a flag ceremony in front of the town’s city hall.
The alleged narco-politicians are among the more than 6,400 persons on the PDEA's watchlist.
Also on the list are policemen, PDEA agents, soldiers, media personalities, celebrities and judges Aquino said the adjudication will begin on Monday and will initially focus on the 85 narco-politicians. (SunStar Philippines)