Amid his administration’s intensified war against drugs, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte stoked the flames further on Sun, Aug 7, when he read a list of names of judges, local government officials, and law enforcement officers that allegedly had links to the illegal drug trade.
The said list was prepared by the police and intelligence units.
Duterte, who had repeatedly sworn that nobody would be spared from the govenment’s war against drugs, offered 158 names for public scrutiny. There were no arrest warrants for those named on the list.
Duterte said he knew several people on his list personally, but read them out regardless as duty “compelled him to disclose their names.”
A CNN report noted that “all active police officers named have been suspended, but the speech did not expand on the allegations Duterte was making against the officials on the list.”
Soon after Duterte publicized the list, it was pointed out that it had wrong or old information.
Judge Roberto Navidad, one of the seven judges in the list, died in Jan 14, 2008. It also named a Jeffrey Celis, supposedly a congressman party list, but whose name does not appear in the official roster of the House of Representatives.
Another dead person on the list is Police Officer 3 Filomeno Toronio, who died of cardiac arrest while he was assigned with another police unit in Mati City in Davao Oriental back in 2013.
In an Aug 10 report, The Philippine Star quoted Duterte as saying, “It really was my intention to read everyone involved in the drug problem, even the deceased.”
The Palace also immediately defended Duterte from the criticisms. The official reason was that the President’s primary concern is “to deliver effective action to the people.”
“By calling out the names of the judges on the list, he is giving them every chance and opportunity to be prepared to defend themselves, clear their names if they are innocent, and alert the community of their involvement in drugs if they are guilty,” reasoned Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.
Andanar’s statement creates the assumption that the government considers the people on the list as “guilty until proven innocent.”
In a Sun.Star Davao report, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella was asked to comfirm the credibility of the list. He said, “I would say it is credible. On the other hand, if there are mistakes, the onus now is upon the individual to express and to clarify his situation.”
In any case, having the list corrected or being questioned about its legality seems to be a sore spot for the Duterte administration.
It may be recalled that Supreme Court Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno wrote to Duterte.
In her letter, Sereno expressed support for Duterte’s drug war.
“However, Mr. President, a premature announcement of an informal investigation on allegations of involvement with the drug trade will have the unwarranted effect of rendering the judge veritably useless in discharging his adjudicative role. Thus this Court has been careful, all too aware that more often than not, a good reputation is the primary badge of credibility and the only legacy that many of our judges can leave behind. Too many of our judges have been assassinated, 26 since 1999, a large proportion of them reportedly at the behest of crime lords, more specifically, drug lords. Allow me to submit a separate update on this matter,” she wrote.
Duterte’s response to Sereno’s letter was interesting, to say the least.
In yet another speech before military forces, the President addressed Sereno, saying, “Go ahead and try to stop me. Would you rather that I declared martial law? Let’s not kid each other ma’am, and do not force the issue.”
He added, “You do not warn me. I warn you. I can order everyone in the executive department not to honor you. Please do not create a confrontation, a constitutional war. We will all lose.”
Sereno has chosen not to get into a word war with Duterte.
For reference, below is the list of the names mentioned by Duterte last Aug 7. The names below , as listed on InterAksyon.com, are those of the people who are accused of having links to the illegal drug trade. Only a number have been categorized according to their present or former designations.
JUDGES
- Judge Mupas of Dasmariñas, Cavite
- Judge Reyes, Baguio City
- Judge Savilo RTC Branch 13, Iloilo City
- Judge Casiple, Kalibo, Aklan
- Judge Rene Gonzales, MTC
- Judge Natividad, RTC Calbayog City
- Judge Ezekiel Dagala, MTC, Dapa Siargao
MAYORS
- Reynaldo Flores, Naguilian, La Union
- Dante Garcia, Tubao, La Union
- Martin de Guzman, Bauang, La Union
- Marjorie April Salazar, Lasam, Cagayan
- Goto Violago, San Rafael, Bulacan
- Marino Morales, Mabalacat, Pampanga
- Felix Castillo, Langiden, Abra
- Jed Mabilog, Iloilo City.
EX-MAYORS
- Eufronio Derigel, Agoo, La Union
- Jesus Celeste, “Boying” alias, Bolinao, Pangasinan
- Jose “Pepe” Miranda, Santiago City, Isabela
- Vicente Amante, San Pablo City, Laguna
- Ryan Dolor, Bauan, Batangas
- Michael Rama, Cebu City
- Hector Ong, Laoang, Northern Samar
- Rolando Espinosa, Albuera, Leyte
- Beda Cañamaque, Basay, Negros Oriental
- Madeleine Ong, Laoang, Northern Samar
VICE MAYORS
- Edgardo Trinidad, El Nido, Palawan
- Alex Sentina, Calinog, Iloilo
- Julius Ronald Pacificador, Hamtic, Antique
- Wilfredo Salangutin Bietbeta, Carles, Iloilo
- Marciano Malones, Maasin, Iloilo
- Abdul Wahab Sabal, Talitay, Maguindanao
FORMER VICE MAYORS
- Francis Ansing Amboy, Maasin Iloilo
- Fralz Sabalones, San Fernando, Cebu
- Attorney Antonio Pesina of Iloilo City
- Erwin Tongtong Plagata, Iloilo City
CONGRESSMAN
- Guillermo Romarate Jr., second district, Surigao del Norte
EX-CONGRESSMEN
- JC Rahman Nava, Guimaras
- Jeffrey Celis, Party-list representative Panay chapter
OTHERS
- Abubakar Abdul Karim Afdal, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur
- Gamar Ahay Janihim, Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte
- David Navarro, Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur
- Bobby Alingan, Kolambugan, Davao del Norte
- Yusufa Munder Bobong Ramin, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte
- Jessie Aguilera, Alegria Surigao del Norte
- Fahad Salik, Marawi City
- Muhammad Ali Abinal
- Jamal Dadayan, Buadipuso-Buntong, Lanao del Sur
- Sabdullah Macabago, Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur
- Muslim Aline Macadatu, Lumbatan, Lanao del Sur
- Rasul Sangki, Datu Saudi-Ampatuan, Maguindanao
- Montaser Sabal, Talitay, Maguindanao
- Vicman Montawal, Datu Montawal, Maguindanao
- Samsudin Dimaukom, Datu-Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao
- Norodin Salasal, Datu Salibo, Maguindanao
- Ex-mayor Benahar Tulawie, Talipao Sulu
- Reynaldo Parojinog alias Andong, the mayor of Ozamis City
- Nova Princess Parojinog Echavez, vice-mayor of Ozamis City (who has just been granted an annulment of her marriage to former basketball player Edgar Echavez and is now back to using “Parojinog” as her last name, she is allegedly in a relationship with New Billibid Prison inmate Herbert Colangco, who’s been tagged as a drug lord)
- Omar Solitario Ali, Marawi City
- Otto Montawal, Datu Montawal, Maguindanao
- Nida Dimagkon, Datu-Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao
- Arafat Salic, Marawi City
- Rasmiyah Macabago, Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur
- Former second district board member Ricardo Parojinog Ardot
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