Narco lists
Six congressmen, at least 67 mayors, several vice governors and vice mayors. The latest update of the so-called narco list of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reportedly includes 93 elected government officials. The PDEA said about 70 percent of the names on the list have been validated.
As in the release of other such lists in the past two years, the question is what the government will do about this raw information. Some of those included in previous lists managed to have their names deleted after they explained their side either to President Duterte or police officials. A few others, however, have been killed together with their relatives and bodyguards.
Authorities reportedly want those on the list to know that the government is aware of their criminal activities and they should stop. Police said the major drug traffickers who ignored the warning became the subjects of raids and were killed in encounters with cops.
Anti-drug laws can tie the hands of police, who must present solid evidence to make drug charges stick. This task becomes even more challenging when the drug dealers are public officials, especially those who control practically every component of the criminal justice system in their turf.
Short of subjecting such suspects to Oplan Double Barrel, the government can conduct lifestyle checks and tap the Bureau of Internal Revenue for the possible filing of tax evasion cases. Drug trafficking is among the predicate crimes covered by laws against money laundering. So the AntiMoney Laundering Council can be called in for assistance in going after drug traffickers. Relatives and even mistresses of the drug dealers must be included in the probe, to prevent anyone from benefiting from dirty money.
Several congressmen have complained that the narco list has tainted all lawmakers and want the PDEA to name names. More important than naming names is for law enforcers to build cases and find evidence that will stand in court. The judiciary can do its part by speeding up the adjudication of the cases. Justice should be as swift as tokhang and Double Barrel.