PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte might agree to meet two former local officials in Iligan City, who were allegedly involved in illegal drugs, a Palace official said Wednesday.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Duterte was open to accepting the proposal of former Iligan City representative Vicente Belmonte and Iligan City mayor Lawrence Cruz to meet the chief executive and refute the allegations hurdled against them.
“As far as I know, the President is quite open to those things. But it’s really their move,” Abella told reporters, when asked if Duterte was willing to accept the two ex-official’s suggestion to meet him.
Duterte, in a speech delivered in Malacañang last Monday, revealed that the two former Iligan City officials and a certain Mayor Willie Lim are included in the roster of over 1,000 public officials allegedly connected to narcotics trade.
Both Belmonte and Cruz, however, denied the President’s claim and expressed willingness to clear their names.
Asked then if it is a “double standard” that the President is willing to hear just the alleged narco-politicians' explanation, Abella said, “Let’s put it this way: I don’t know about the double standards but about the processes. Let them take every step that they can take and I’m sure the President will respond.” (Sunnex)
