MANILA (Updated) -- NINETY barangay (village) captains have been named in a drug watchlist that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) released Monday morning, April 30.
The list contains a total of 207 names, which were validated on the ground by four law enforcement units, said PDEA director Aaron Aquino.
He said administrative and criminal charges would be filed against those on the list.
"It will be filed in due time. We are just having continuous case build up. Maybe a week or two may mauumpisahan na kami ma-file-an sa Ombudsman, also in the court (we could start filing charges before the Ombudsman or the court)," he said.
The highest number of alleged drug personalities among barangay officials is in Bicol Region, with 70, followed by Cordillera Administrative Region with 34, and Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao, 13.
Three village chairmen in Central Visayas (Region 7), particularly from Cebu province, are on the list. There is one each in Western Visayas and Davao regions, particularly in Iloilo City and Davao Oriental, respectively; three in Northern Mindanao (Region 10) particularly in Ozamiz City; and two in Central Luzon, particularly in Pampanga and Tarlac.
He said some of the persons on the list were users, pushers and even on the leverage of a drug lord but majority were protectors of the illegal drugs trade and drug lords.
Aquino said the list originally consisted of 293 names but 46 have already been arrested, 20 were killed either by motorcycle-riding gunmen or in homicide incidents, five were shot dead during police operations while five more died of natural causes.
Aquino said the list is not a "hit list", noting that it was released for the electorate to know who to vote for in the upcoming May 14 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (village council) Elections.
"There is no truth to that (hit list). Public office is public trust. Every resident of the barangay meron s'yang karapatan para malaman kung anong ginagawa ng isang public official particularly barangay captain (has the right to know the activities of a public official, particularly a barangay captain)," he said.
"The public officials are always accountable to the people. It's fair enough that the people should know exactly what the officials are doing," Aquino said, when asked if the drug watchlist may serve as hit list.
For his part, Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Eduardo Año urged the public to help the government by testifying and informing them about their officials' illegal drugs transactions in order for them to build an airtight case against the narco-barangay officials.
Año said they will furnish the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as well as the regional and local DILG offices copies of the list in order for them to identify who on the list are currently running for local positions.
However, he said being on the list may not be enough for a candidate to be disqualified from the upcoming elections.
Aquino also advised barangay officials who are not on the list not to rejoice yet, because they might be among the 274 barangay officials on their drug watchlist who are still being subjected to validation.
He said there are also more personalities on the list of the PNP under validation.
Aquino reiterated the need to activate the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (Badac) and for cooperation from local officials to attain a drug-cleared Philippines.
"Yung drug-free Philippines, hindi na natin makukuha yun (We can no longer attain a drug-free Philippines). We are now aiming for a drug-cleared Philippines," he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte had ordered the release of the list of barangay officials suspected of involvement in or protecting the narcotics trade ahead of the May 14 synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.
Although it was reported that Duterte said that it was not yet the time to publicize the list, Aquino said he did not receive any directive stopping the release of the list. (VoxPop Philippines)