PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will soon announce the names of mayors here in Cebu who are allegedly linked with illegal drugs, according to a high-ranking official.

Philippine National Police Chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said the public should just wait for the president’s announcement.

“Ang listahan tua kang presidente. Sa kalat sa droga diri sa Region 7, kahibalo na mo kinsang mga mayor dinha ang involved (The list is with the president. With the proliferation of drugs in Region 7, you already know who are the mayors involved with drugs),” he said.

No figures

When asked how many mayors have drug ties, Dela Rosa did not give a number and said that it will be up to Duterte to reveal their names.

“Di ko muhatag og number. Hulat na lang mo i-announce ni presidente (I will not give the number. Just wait for the president’s announcement),” he said.

Duterte first named Daanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot as one of the generals who were alleged drug protectors with former Police Regional Office (PRO) Central Visayas Director Marcelo Garbo.

Loot denied the allegations and described it as “political black propaganda.”

Garbo, on the other hand, was said to be the drug coddler of Peter Lim alias Jaguar who was part of the Chinese Triad that operates a wide-scale drug operation in the Central Visayas.

He also denied his involvement.

Cebu-based businessman Peter Lim met Duterte last Friday in the office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Davao to clear his name.

Advice

Duterte strongly advised Lim to submit himself to an investigation because he was the suspected drug lord that intelligence reports submitted to the president revealed.

Dela Rosa neither confirmed nor denied if the Chinese businessman was the drug lord but admitted that intelligence reports could not stand in court.

“Di na nimo sila mabasta-basta og pin down kung gusto mo og legal nga pamaagi. Pwerteng lisoda kay they come in clean (You cannot pin down a drug lord easily if you want the legal way. It’s too difficult because they come in clean),” he said.

He added that until they have complete and concrete evidence against Lim for his alleged drug ties, he would not judge him.

“Ibang labanan kung legal ang pag-uusapan (It’s a different battle when we’re talking about legal terms),” Dela Rosa said.

On the part of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7, newly-installed Director Patricio Bernales Jr. said he is just awaiting orders from NBI in Manila.

“I’m just waiting for the mandate. We need to know which angle because it’s a big scope. Where will we start?” he said in an interview with Sun.Star Cebu.

The president ordered the NBI to do the probe on Peter Lim during their meeting in Davao.