THOSE IN NARCO-LIST URGED TO QUIT

Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak says candidates whose names appear on the narco-list should withdraw their candidacy

Candidates whose names appear on the controversial narco-list that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) plans to release next week are advised to withdraw their candidacies, said Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak.

Tumulak, who also serves as deputy mayor for police matters, said those mentioned in the DILG’s narco-list should be charged and given a day in court.

But for his colleague, Cebu City councilor Joel Garganera, the DILG should charge those named in the narco-list first before their identities are disclosed to the public.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año earlier said that the narco-list they plan to release next week contains the names of 82 incumbent officials, 64 of which are running for reelection this May.

Some sectors are worried that once the National Government releases the narco-list, this could be used for political purposes. One of those concerned about this is Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (Cpadao) Chief Ivy Remedios Durano-Meca.

“If this so-called narco-list has really been validated, and these politicians are really involved, this should have been acted upon prior (to the elections). Mura man gud siya og ma-politicize. Why do we have to wait for voters to vote if na-operatan na ni siya before, di na unta mabotaran kay nahibawan na (It appears politicized. If an operation was conducted against them before, people will not vote for them anymore),” she pointed out.

Año clarified that they are releasing the list to guide voters in choosing whom to vote for.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, for his part, said revealing the names of narco-politicians would prevent voters from choosing candidates who are proven to be “destroyers of society” because of their drug involvement in the May 13 elections.

But for Meca, if those involved in the illegal drug trade had been apprehended earlier, that would have already been a clear warning for voters not to elect narco-politicians.

Meca said politicians should not be singled out, as there are also officials from other government agencies that have been tagged in the illegal drug trade.

“I’m not talking about unfair in the sense that they are being identified. But it is unfair that they are singling out the politicians. How about those that are in other agencies that are involved who are high-ranking officials?” Meca said.

Tumulak said even if the politician in the narco-list is already in the official ballot, he or she still has the opportunity to withdraw “out of delicadeza.”

He also agrees with the proposal of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to charge those named in the narco-list so they will have the opportunity to answer the allegations against them. /