Raps filed vs 46 execs tagged as narco pols
Duterte names 43 LGU officials, 3 congressmen
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) filed graft and administrative charges yesterday before the Office of the Ombudsman against 43 local executives and three congressmen for alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.
President Duterte read out the names of the 46 socalled narco politicians during the National Peace and Order Council meeting held in Davao City last night.
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said the initial list of alleged narco politicians came from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
The list consists of 35 mayors, seven vice mayors, three congressmen and one provincial board member.
In a statement released last night, Año said the politicians are facing administrative charges of grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest, conduct unbecoming of a public officer and gross neglect of duty.
Criminal charges related to drug offenses are expected to be filed as well against the 46.
Año said the involvement of the respondents in illegal drugs was evaluated and validated by the Interagency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) chaired by PDEA in coordination with the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and other offices.
“The DILG’s involvement in the ICAD is impelled by its statutory role as general supervisor of local government units (LGUs) and their officials to
ensure that they are performing their duties and functions under the law,” Año said.
Duterte said the narco list he bared last night was only the start, with more to be named after validation: “For the time
being, ito muna kasi validated na eh. Yung iba huwag muna kasi
di pa validated eh.” He vowed to make life difficult for those engaged in the illegal drug trade, including politicians, in the three more years of his administration.
“Even if I have to burn in hell, I will really do it if you
insist on destroying my country,” the President said.
He said the local officials, especially those from the provinces, are not drug abusers.
“These are the people who you think are clean… they send their children to schools abroad and they even brag about it in their Facebook posts with snow-capped mountains at the back,” Duterte said.
Among those in the list are Reps. Jesus “Boying” Celeste of Pangasinan, Jeffrey Khonghun of Zambales and Vicente Sofronio Veloso of Leyte.
Veloso, in a brief talk with local media last night, lamented the “fabricated, baseless accusation” against him.
Also in the list are former police general Vicente Loot, former mayor of Daang Bantayan in Cebu, and Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, who has left the country and is now believed to be either in the United States or in Canada. Both are not running in the midterm elections in May.
No one on the list is from Duterte’s home region of Southern Mindanao.
Before the filing of the formal charges, certain quarters had warned that merely releasing names on a list would violate due process and the presumption of innocence.
The ‘narco list’
Apart from the three congressmen and two mayors, the list released by the DILG names the following:
Mayors Ferdinand Dancel Aguinaldo of Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte; Marjorie Apil Salazar of Lasam, Cagayan; Cipriano Dungao Violago Jr. of San Rafael, Bulacan; Erlon Clemente Agustin of Camiling, Tarlac; Jefferson Fernandez Khonghun of Subic, Zambales; Bruno Tolentino Ramos of Bay, Laguna; Caesar Pabalete Perez of Los Baños, Laguna, and Cecilio Hernandez of Rodriguez, Rizal; Vice Mayor Dennis Linco Hernandez of Rodriguez, Rizal;
Mayors Eulalio Mendoza Alilio of Lemery, Batangas; Juan Valencia Toreja of Ibaan, Batangas; Loreto Sahagun Amante of San Pablo City, Laguna; Raul Palino of Teresa, Rizal and Roderick Alcantara Alcala of Lucena City, Quezon;
Provincial board member Rommel Cruz Ayuson of Rizal;
Mayor Nieves Cabuñalda Rosente of El Nido, Palawan;
Vice Mayor Ariel Tabugo Alagos Jr. of Culasi, Antique;
Mayors Julius Ronald Leyritana Pacificador of Hamtic, Antique; Mariano Malficio Malones Sr. of Maasin, Iloilo, and Siegfredo Alfuente Betita of Carles, Iloilo; Vice Mayor Franz Cabilao Sabalones of San Fernando, Cebu;
Mayors Gamar Ahay Janihim of Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte; Leonida Albor Angcap of Midsalip, Zamboanga del Sur;
Crisinciano Enot Mahilac of Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental; David Mabal Navarro of Clarin, Misamis Occidental; Ezel Tabuelog Villanueva of Calamba, Misamis Occidental; Jason Paredes Almonte of Oroquieta City;
Abubakar Pendatun Maulana of Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat; Albert Palencia of Banga, South Cotabato; Pablo Mondejar Matinong Jr. of Sto. Niño, South Cotabato, and Roberto Malijao Luna Jr. of Lingig, Surigao del Sur;
Vice Mayors Abdulwahad Sabal of Talitay, Maguindanao; Anida Dimaukom of Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao, and Arafat Alim Salic of Marawi City;
Mayors Jamal Abinal Pangandamun of Maguing, Lanao del Sur; Mamaulan Abinal Mulok of Maguing, Lanao del Sur; former mayor Montasser Meling Sabal of Talitay, Maguindanao;
Vice Mayor Ohto Caumbo Montawal of Datu Montawal;
Mayors Rasul Mabang Sangki of Ampatuan, Maguindanao and Vicman Kambang Montawal of Datu Montawal, Maguindanao, and Jamar Abdulla Mansul of Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan.
Mabilog and other persons linked to the illegal drug trade by Duterte have expresssed concern that they might be killed in police drug raids.
Mayor Rolando Espinosa of Albuera, Leyte was shot dead while in jail on drug trafficking charges by police who were serving a search warrant in 2016. The raiders said he had fought back.
Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. of Ozamiz City was also killed in a police raid together with his wife, brother and 12 others in 2017.