By Mario Casayuran Two members of the Senate majority bloc expressed apprehension Tuesday that the 207 barangay officials identified by the national government of being linked to the multi-billion-peso illegal drug trade might be crucified in a court of public opinion. ‘’What we actually need to cleanse drug-infested barangays is for guilty verdicts to be handed down against proven narco-pols in the courts of law,’’ Sen. Shewrin T. Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate economic affairs committee, said. Sen. Shewrin T. Gatchalian (left); Senate Majority Leader Vicente C. Sotto III
(MANILA BULLETIN) ‘’We’ve waited in vain for almost two years for the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to act on its promise to file cases against alleged narco-pols,’’ he stressed. ’’Now is the time for the DILG to finally make good on its promise by spearheading the immediate filing of administrative and criminal raps against the barangay officials named in the drug list,’’ he added. Sen. Gregorio B. Honasan II, chairman of the Senate national defense and security committee, objected to the ‘’premature release not only of the narco-list but any list because of our historical propensity to try and convict institutions, groups, and personalities by publicity, at the expense of due process and the rule of law.’’ ‘’This is not to mention violation of rights to life liberty property and honor. If warranted by strong evidence, file appropriate charges expeditiously,’’ he said. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) released Monday the list that includes 90 barangay captains and 117 barangay kagawads. PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino attested to the accuracy of the list as it “has been validated by four law enforcement intelligence agencies in the country.” Based on the list, Region 5 has the most number with the 70 barangay officials involved in drugs trade; followed by Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) with 34 and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with 13. The agency said it is continuously building up evidence against the personalities to further strengthen the cases which are expected to be filed in two weeks’ time. The disclosure of the list, according to Aquino, is in response to the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte. Aquino found an ally in the person of Senate Majority Leader Vicente C Sotto III who said PDEA was right in releasing its list. Sotto. former chairman of the Senate Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) during the Arroyo administration, said the publication of the names of erring barangay officials would ensure their rejection from public office by voters in the upcoming Barangay elections. Sotto said he himself has copies of the narco-list and that he knows the PDEA had verified the information on the drug links of barangay officials. So the next step should now be the actual filing of the appropriate charges, he said.