PDEA: Intel community to start validation process on alleged narcopoliticians

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Wilkins Villanueva said Friday concerned agencies would now work on a regional adjudication system to validate if a politician really has a connection with illegal drugs.

"'Yung mga narcopolitician talagang kung titingnan mo ngayon, kung dati ay naglalaro sila, ngayon talagang stop. We are working on the regional adjudication system, kami lahat ng intelligence community, down to the regional level para mag-adjudicate. Ngayon pa lang mag-adjudicate na sila ng lahat ng persons na nakalagay sa listahan," Villanueva said.

"So that, even before the election, mavalidate na natin sila lahat. At hindi na 'yan maging issue on the next election," he added in a press conference.

Asked how many narco-politicians are on the drug list, the PDEA chief said: "Marami pa rin eh, marami pa rin. Wala akong data on that list."

In the 2019 midterm elections, the PDEA said 25 out of the 36 narco-politicians who ran for public office won.

Among them were 18 candidates for mayor; three for vice mayor; two for congressman; one for vice governor; and one for councilor, the anti-drug agency had said.—AOL, GMA News