Up to 15 local execs in DDB watchlist - Sotto

MANILA, Philippines - Various government agencies are monitoring 12 to 15 local officials for possible involvement in illegal drug operations, Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) chairman Vicente Sotto III said Monday. At a weekly press conference in Quezon City, Sotto said the DDB has already forwarded to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo a "watchlist" of local government officials nationwide who are alleged to be involved in illegal drug operations within their respective areas of responsibility. "Meron hong ilang local officials na binabantayan. Hindi ko sinasabing guilty sila, pero sinasabi ko na may mga reports tungkol sa kanila [Some local officials are being monitored. I'm not saying they're guilty, but there have been reports about them]," Sotto said. Although he refused to give details, Sotto said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Philippine National Police's Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force are "monitoring" the said officials to verify the reports. Sotto said the DDB also has a "tie-up" with the Anti-Money Laundering Council. "I will assure you na itong mga 'to binabantayan up to that level [I will assure you these officials are being monitored up to that level]." Two of the "12 to 15" local officials being monitored are from Metro Manila, Sotto said, adding that there is currently no reason to believe that there are national officials involved in the illegal drug trade. Sotto said that under Section 26 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, everyone, including government officials, can be penalized for any attempt or conspiracy to import, manufacture, or sell illegal drugs. But at the very least, local government officials can be charged for "dereliction of duty" if they fail to stop illegal drug activities within territories where narcotics are consistently being seized by authorities, said the DDB chief. Boratong Sotto had earlier urged the Department of Interior and Local Government to investigate Pasig City officials after authorities recently raided a shabu house believed to be owned by Amin Imam Boratong. Last Thursday, the Pasig City Regional Trial Court meted Boratong and his wife Sheryl Molera with life imprisonment for maintaining the "shabu tiangge" near the Pasig City hall that was raided in 2006. Sotto said during the press conference that he has yet to follow-up that suggestion with Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno. However, he said an anti-drug summit that will be participated in by various government officials to intensify efforts against illegal drugs is already in the works. Sotto, who described illegal drugs as a "scourge to the entire world," said a recent study showed that there are approximately 1.7 million drug dependents in the Philippines, including those inside and outside rehabilitation centers. He said, however, that the figure is lower compared to the estimated 3 million in 2004. Sotto likewise said there is no reason to be bothered by a recent United Nations Office on Drug and Crime report ranking the Philippines fifth in metamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) seizures around the world from 1998 to 2007. The DDB chief said the ranking only proves that the Philippine government has been doing its job in hunting down illegal drug operators, and that Philippine authorities have been honest in reporting the country's drug figures to the UN. - GMANews.TV