Wiretapped intel on narco pols came from foreign gov’ts —Palace

Foreign governments have supplied the Philippines "wiretapped" information regarding criminals and politicians alleged to have links to the illegal drug trade, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Tuesday.

Panelo issued the statement as he vouched for the integrity of the list of candidates in the May midterm elections with drug ties. The government plans to release the so-called "narco-list" next week.

"Ang mga nagpo-provide sa atin ibang bansa eh. Ang magagaling diyan Israel, magaling diyan America, Russia, China. In other words, they provide us with the information. Kung tayo lang, eh wala, kopong-kopong pa yata iyong mga instrumento natin," he told reporters.

"Tandaan mo na iyong mga bansa, all countries help each other in fighting terrorism and criminality. Siguro in the course of this cooperation, nagbibigay sila ng impormasyon."

President Rodrigo Duterte admitted as early as September 2017 that he authorized the wiretapping of former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and the late Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. Duterte had accused Mabilog and Parojinog of involvement in the illegal drug trade.

The Anti-Wiretapping Law (Republic Act 4200) prohibits wiretapping unless authorized by the court.

Panelo, who is also the chief presidential legal counsel, did not see anything illegal with the government receiving wiretapped information from other countries.

"Walang batas na nagsasabing iligal iyon, kung binibigyan tayo ng impormasyon. In fact, we should be thankful na we are being provided with information relative to criminal activities in this country," he said.

Panelo, meanwhile, reiterated that the public deserves to know about the narco-list.

"We cannot allow people to run local governments - the barangays – by the destroyers of society. The people have the right to know; while there is an individual right, this individual right must yield to the people’s right to public safety, it must yield to people’s interest or the country’s interest," he said.

He said candidates with drug links do not enjoy the presumption of innocence.

"How can you demand that you are presumed innocent when you are involved in something criminal? Another thing, the due process clause applies to the life, the liberty or property," Panelo said.

"Baka nga hindi sila pumasok doon eh, kasi you don’t deprive them naman of those three things pag nilabas mo lang iyong listahan." —NB, GMA News