PDEA waiting for Duterte’s nod to expose 93 local execs, solons

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) may release next the names of local government officials, including governors, who are linked to the illegal drug trade.

At a press briefing Monday, PDEA head Aaron Aquino said they have a list of 93 drug-linked local officials that they could release once President Rodrigo Duterte ordered it.

"We have 93 [names], from vice mayor up. Vice mayor, mayor, congressman, governor, vice governor. I have 93 in the narco list," Aquino said.

"I'll wait for the order of the President." 

During the press briefing, Aquino released the list of 207 barangay officials who are reportedly involved in illegal drugs.

Of the total number, 90 are barangay captains and 117 are barangay kagawads. They are from Region V (70), Cordillera Administrative Region (34), and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (13). 

Aquino said they will release the names of 274 more barangay officials once they are verified.

Ret. Gen. Eduardo Año, OIC of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), said the list "has been validated by different intelligence agencies." He said they will be filing charges against them soon.

Año also encouraged officials to come forward and seek protection with the government in exchange for information.

The list of barangay officials linked to illegal drugs was released two weeks before the barangay election.

In the same press conference, Aquino assured the public that authorities will not use the list to hunt down and execute the barangay officials.

"There's no truth that this will serve as a hit list," he said. "We want to be legitimate in our operations, we want our operations to be transparent." —KBK, GMA News