Bato dela Rosa: PNP not the source of Duterte’s narco-list

The Philippine National Police (PNP) was not President Rodrigo Duterte’s source for the names of politicians and judges who are allegedly involved in illegal drugs operations, PNP chief Director General Roland dela Rosa said Thursday.

During congressional hearings on the Department of Interior and Local Government’s proposed P148.7 billion for 2017, Kabayan party-list Rep. Harry Roque asked Dela Rosa if the PNP was Duterte’s source of information for his list of so-called “narco-politicians, narco-cops and narco-judges.”

In response, Dela Rosa said not all information came from the PNP.

“May ibang source si Presidente. Inaamin ko ang information na nanggaling sa amin, yung mga pulis na involved sa drug trade. Yun ang pinaglilipat namin sa ibang regions— yung pulis na binanggit ni Presidente,” he said.

Last month, Duterte read out a list of government officials allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.

Included on the list were judges, mayors, congressmen, and police officers.

Several of the personalities mentioned by the President have denied the allegations against them, while some were found to be dead already.

Aside from providing minimal input for Duterte’s so-called “narco-list,” Dela Rosa denied that the PNP was the source of information regarding the matrix supposedly showing the structure of the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, National Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice have already denied involvement in the preparation of any list on the illegal drug trade presented by Duterte. 

Earlier during a briefing in Malacañang, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Duterte had other sources of intelligence information as regards suspected drug personalities.

"He is privy to certain other sources of intelligence and what he had is a consolidated report," Abella told reporters. — RSJ, GMA News