‘Politicians in PDEA list just small fry’

MANILA, Philippines - An opposition leader yesterday scoffed at the list of politicians allegedly involved in illegal drugs that was submitted to him by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Arturo Cacdac.

“I am not impressed with the list. It’s nothing. It contains the names of politicians who are just small fry,” House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez told a news conference.

“Cacdac started it by linking many politicians in the illegal drug trade. I dared him to name names, and he submitted this list,” Suarez said.

He said the document names 53 politicians, including a former congressman, a former mayor, a mayoral candidate, a provincial board candidate, 13 barangay chairmen, 30 barangay councilmen, two town councilors, a vice mayor, two town mayors, and a city councilor.

Suarez initially refused to name the congressman in the list but later identified him as Ronald Singson of Ilocos Sur, who had returned to the country after serving his jail sentence in Hong Kong for drug trafficking.

“Cacdac should not have included our former colleague. His case has already been resolved. He is not even a pusher. He was caught bringing something for his personal consumption,” he said.

He said the PDEA chief should review his list.

Suarez, however, admitted that the report about the involvement of small-time politicians in illegal drugs “is, to say the least, highly alarming.”

“On top of this, there are reports from PDEA Region 6 director Edwin Layese and Davao director Emerson Rosales regarding politicians involved in illegal drug activities in Western Visayas and the Davao provinces. All these underscore the seriousness of unchecked narco-politics as the 2013 midterm elections draw near,” he said.

Suarez said he would ask the House to invite PDEA officials to substantiate their allegations.

In the same news conference, Suarez, the original proponent of imposing tax on text messaging, said he doubted whether mobile phone service providers would refund their subscribers for excess text charges as ordered by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

“These companies have the money to fight that order. This is a P700-billion industry, and it’s not easy for NTC to enforce its order,” he said.