MANILA – It is not yet the right time for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to release to the public the names of barangay officials allegedly linked to illegal drugs, President Rodrigo Duterte said.
Duterte said he wants to review the barangay “narco-list” first.
“Not yet. It is not time. And I have to get back all of those who want to come back,” Duterte told the press Saturday night in Davao City.
Earlier the PDEA said it plans to release to the public Monday the names of those in the barangay narco-list, with the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections fast approaching.
PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said they are expecting the list to be expanded as Malacañang submitted more names Wednesday night.
“May pinahabol pa ang Malacañang na listahan. So, I guess, itong 211 na ida-divulge ko ay baka madagdagan pa po,” Aquino said. “Verified na po iyang 211 barangay officials na iyan.”
ADMINISTRATIVE RAPS
Meanwhile an Interior department official said around 70 barangay officials are set to be slapped with administrative complaints.
They will be charged at the Office of the Ombudsman this week for failure to organize Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (BADACs), said Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Diño.
“Magpa-file kami ng complaint sa susunod na linggo laban sa mga opisyales na hindi nag-submit ng BADAC,” Diño told Super Radyo dzBB on Saturday.
“Nasa batas iyan, limang taon na ang nakalilipas. Dapat ginawa na nila iyan,” Diño said, adding that the department will release the names of erring barangay officials after the filing./PN
