PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Lieutenant General Archie Gamboa has agreed to disclose to Vice President Leni Robredo the content of intelligence reports pertaining to high-value targets of the administration’s drug war but only during a closed-door meeting.
“Remember, the PDEA is the head of the law enforcement cluster... whatever the head says, I will always respect it, being a member of the law enforcement... so yes, I adhere to what the director general says,” Gamboa said in an interview with reporters.
But Gamboa reiterated that Robredo, being a co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (Icad), should instead focus on the drug war's aspect of advocacy and rehabilitation, which will not require her to know who were on the list.
He said the law enforcement and prosecution aspect were under the PNP, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
"Would it really matter who are on the list? Kaya nga palagi naming sinasabi, ako I'm already suggesting na anyway, the entire Icad is composed of four different sub-committees. Why would the VP not take the advocacy and the rehabilitation? Pasok 'yung sinasabi niya, the illegal drugs is actually a health problem so probably, that can fall in advocacy and rehabilitation," he said.
Robredo had requested access to documents and information pertaining to the administration’s drug war.
Duterte warns Robredo against sharing classified info
But Aquino earlier expressed his apprehension on sharing the said list to just anybody. The list has been considered classified information.
“Sa pinaka-simpleng explanation -- kapag binigay namin ang listahan kay VP Robredo, hindi na namin alam kung sino-sino ang magkakaroon ng access sa listahan. That will compromise our negation operations,” he said.
“I myself has no copy of the list in my possession. What I am doing is I check it from time to time with my intelligence service and conduct workshops against these personalities,” Aquino added.
Aquino also clarified that this is not an act of resistance or disrespect to the Vice President but just a mere observance of the standard operation procedure on law enforcement operations. (SunStar Philippines)