Agencies to decide who gets access to narco lists: Karlo

MANILA -- A Palace official on Monday said he will leave it to the drug enforcement agencies to decide who will be given access to the list of highvalue targets (HVTs) in the campaign against illegal drugs, including Vice President Leni Robredo, cochair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-illegal Drugs (ICAD).

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said although the Vice President co-chairs the ICAD, agencies such as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are being extra careful on whom to share the narco list with to

avoid endangering national security.

“We will leave it up [sic] to the drug enforcement agency to determine kung sino ba yung may access dapat sa mga listahan (who or who cannot have access to the list),” Nograles said in a phone interview with Palace reporters.

“You have to understand yung (the) sensitivity of the list at siyempre, sila yung (of course they’re) keepers of the list e so yung accountability and responsibility ay ultimately nasa kanila kung magkakaroon ng compromise sa listahan (will be theirs if there will be a compromise on the list),” he added.

Earlier, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino has expressed willingness to share a copy of the sensitive narco list with Robredo but only for a good reason and in a closed-door meeting.

However, PNP Officerin-Charge Lt. General Archie Gamboa said it is up to Aquino to share the confidential information or not.

Robredo said she would not insist to have access to the list, but stressed that she had no intention of revealing any sensitive information that would pose security risks.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who offered Robredo the ICAD post, warned that he could remove the Vice President from her post should she divulge sensitive information that could harm national security.