DILG: Voters must know truth about candidates

INTERIOR and Local Government officer-incharge Eduardo Año on Thursday, April 26, said government is not trying to persecute the candidates who are in the government’s drugs watchlist by releasing their names, but merely trying to help the voters choose wisely.

“The voters must know the truth about their candidates. Everyone must be accountable for himself and for what he did in the past especially if he is running for a public position. Let the voters decide. I don’t think its persecution. I trust PDEA,” Año said.

Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director Aaron Aquino said Thursday, April 26, that he was still finalizing the drug watchlist containing the names of over 200 barangay officials.

The list would be released on Monday, April 30, upon approval by President Rodrigo Duterte.

“May pinahabol pa ang Malacañang na listahan so I guess itong 211 na ida-divulge ko ay baka madagdagan pa po. Merong user, may pusher, pero karamihan po sa kanila ay protector (Malacañang sent additional names. There are users, pushers, but mostly they are protectors),” Aquino said.

He added that he will have to “sort them and verify because the list they gave could fill up one book.”

Aquino said they have not been able to determine whether those on the list have filed their certificates of candidacy for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.

He said of the 211 names on the list, 89 were barangay chairman. Most are from Bicol Region while only 15 are from Metro Manila.

Philippine National Police chief Oscar Alabayalde, for his part, said such move is essential to allow the electorate to pick their candidates wisely.

Earlier, Albayalde said for the sake of fairness, the names on the watchlist should be carefully validated.

“Puwede ka kasing bigla na lamang ilagay doon sa listahan kung galit especially today na election period o election time. Ang barangay (elections) very personal iyan (It is possible that a name is arbitrarily included, especially that it is election period. Barangay elections are very personal),” he said.

Aquino said the names that would be released on Monday have been validated. Names that have not been validated would not be disclosed, he added.

“Definitely hindi ko ida-divulge pa po ‘yung mga pangalan na ‘yon, including doon ‘yung 274 watchlist ng PDEA na subject for further validation po lahat. So ang ipa-publish ko lang po ‘yung validated and confirmed na (ang) drug involvement nila (I will not divulge the names, including those in the 274 watchlist of PDEA which is subject to further validation. So I will only disclose names that are validated and confirmed to be involved in illegal drugs),” said Aquino.