THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) expressed hope that the list of alleged narco-politicians that the government intends to release ahead of the May elections would be accurate.
CHR spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia hoped that the list will serve its purpose of informing voters that only deserving, law-abiding candidates should get elected to government posts.
Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año over the weekend said that the list of supposed narco-politicians will be released before March 30, the start of the campaign period for local bets.
“The Commission on Human Rights recognizes that the pending release of the supposed list of narco-politicians is meant to ensure that only deserving, law-abiding candidates get elected in government,” de Guia said in a statement.
However, CHR equally reminded the administration that presumption of innocence is a Constitutionally-guaranteed right despite the release of the list, de Guia furthered.
De Guia urged the government to file appropriate charges against the identified narco-politicians if there is enough evidence that link them to illegal drugs.
“If there is enough evidence for the government to put names in a supposed narcolist, then the just way to proceed is to file appropriate charges against these personalities to make them accountable before our laws,” she said.
“The last thing that we want to happen is to heighten violence because of the release of such list in an, oftentimes, already violent period triggered by the election season,” de Guia added.