PHILIPPINE Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino last week said his agency had yet to re-validate the government’s narcolist, a supposed roster of politicians linked to the illegal drug trade.
If released, this will be the third public roll of names; the first one contained a number of dead people. The Aug. 7, 2016 list of 207 names included those of five mayors who had long been buried six feet underground. The April 30, 2018 list was publicized weeks before the May barangay elections.
Government was clear about its motive, which is to warn the public by identifying candidates who should not be elected supposedly for their involvement in illegal drugs.
President Rodrigo Duterte green-lighted the release of the third list of 100 names before the elections this May. He said the list is informed by foreign (Russia, United States, China) intelligence agencies who “wiretapped” the communications of alleged narcopoliticians. This wasn’t the first time the President revealed about wiretapping activities by foreign intelligence. He admitted the same thing in September 2017: “I was listening to him (then Ozamis mayor Reynaldo Parojinog). Don’t ask me how I—what kind of listening device. It was a whisper from God I was listening to. So they were all tapped.”
In the recent wiretap admission, Sen. Panfilo Lacson was quick to respond, saying information culled from the method has no place in formal court. On the other hand, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo clarified that the information backing the list may have been part of the intelligence exchange between the Philippines and cooperating countries, and incidental information on the illegal drug trade involving politicians is certainly useful data.
In Cebu City, Councilor Dave Tumulak said candidates in the narcolist should withdraw from the race. Councilor Joel Garganera, on the other hand, said the Department of the Interior and Local Government should charge the candidates first before disclosing the names.
On record, there were no charges filed against a good number of politicians named in the first two narcolists. We have instead serial executions; the worst came like a purge in San Fernando town in Cebu Province.
A third list is coming, and everyone again falls into suspended animation.
But what does Aquino’s “re-validation” exactly mean? If by “validated,” the agency means there is sufficient information, then by all means bring them to court. It should get consequent publicity, enough to warn the electorate in this highly charged season. It’s the same call of sobriety. A mere list smells of arbitrariness and danger.