The Mindanao Daily Mirror

THE NATION MDM

P6 THURSday | MARCH 7, 2019

SAGIP MANILA BAY. (From left) Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, and former president and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada lead the launch of desilting operations under the Sagip Manila Bay Program at Baywalk Roxas Blvd., Manila on Tuesday. An estimated 225,000 cubic meters of silt will be removed initially from a 1.5-km. stretch of Manila Bay from the Manila Yacht Club breakwater to the United States Embassy in Manila. PNA PHOTO BY AVITO C. DALAN

MANILA -- The list of politicians allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade is set to be made public next week to enable voters to make a “wise choice” in May’s midterm election.

“We hope to release it next week. We are vetting it right now. We are making sure of the list,” Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said in a phone interview Wednesday.

While several senators have opposed the disclosure of the names on the list, Malaya said the public has the right to be

informed regarding this matter.

“To us, since the election is coming and we want to eradicate drugs, the people should be aware of the protectors, the coddlers of drug syndicates. We have a different opinion with the senators,” he added.

Malaya said through this move, senators will know who are on the list because they do not have access to intelligence information from the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“We want the people to be informed so they can decide what they want. We’re giving the necessary information to the public so they can make an informed choice, so they can make a wise choice,” he said.

Asked who will make the list public, Malaya said, “We’re still discussing which agency will (make the announcement). Let’s see next week, we’ll know next week.”

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, when asked if the list will indeed be released next week, said, “(the) validation by PDEA and ICAD (Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs) is still ongoing.

We’ll submit it to PRRD (President Rodrigo R. Duterte) for his final guidance.”

According to PDEA, 64 out of 82 politicians on the “narco-list” are seeking re-election in this year’s midterm polls.

PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino, however, noted that the number may increase after the validation process as there are more politicians in the national drug information system.

While his personal stand is not to publicize the contents of the list, the PDEA chief said he will comply if the President orders him to publicize it. PNA

‘Narco list’ barednext week: DILG

MANILA -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday reiterated its implementation of a relentless internal cleansing program to weed out police officers engaging in unscrupulous activities.

“The CPNP (Chief PNP), General Oscar Albayalde, has immediately directed National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Regional Director, Major General Guillermo Eleazar, to speed up both the criminal and administrative proceedings as part of our massive campaign on internal cleansing to regain the full trust and confidence of our people,” PNP spokesperson

Colonel Bernard Banac said in a message sent to reporters.

This came after two police officers were arrested for extortion in separate operations in the cities of Pasig and Pasay.

Banac noted that once found guilty, these police officers will be dismissed from the service and will be put behind bars.

“(Such) kind of personnel have no place in the PNP. We never tolerate anyone of our colleagues for committing illegal acts or crimes,” he added.

At around 4 a.m. Wednesday, members of the Counter Intelligence Task

Force (CITF) arrested Corporal Anwar Encarnacion Nasser, a member of the Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET), in an entrapment operation at the Pasay City Police Station 1.

Nasser’s cohorts, identified as SDET officer-in-charge Lieutenant Ronaldo Frades, Sergeant Rigor Octaviano, and Patrolman Anthony Fernandez escaped during the operation by passing through a backdoor, taking with them the marked money amounting to P100,000.

The operation stemmed from the complaint of Joan dela Torre who claimed

that Nasser and his cohorts demanded P100,000 in exchange for the release of his live-in partner identified as George Revilla.

Revilla was arrested by SDET personnel for alleged possession of illegal drugs in Makati City on Tuesday morning.

However, authorities found out that there was neither an entry of Revilla’s arrest in the police blotter nor a documentation regarding their alleged operation.

The suspect is now under the custody of CITF for proper disposition and possible filing of kidnap-for- ransom case.

In Pasig City, operatives

of the Regional Special Operations Unit (RSOU)-NCRPO arrested PO2 Marlo Siblao Quibete, a member of the District Drug Enforcement Unit (DDEU) of Eastern Police District (EPD), for robbery extortion.

The arrest of the suspect stemmed from the complaint of Eva Cabansag who personally appeared at the RSOU.

Cabansag said Quibete demanded a sum of money in exchange for dropping the drug case against her live-in-partner.

Following these incidents, Eleazar ordered the immediate relief of EPD

director Brigadier General Bernabe Balba and Pasay police chief Colonel Noel Flores.

Also relieved from their posts were 15 members of the EPD-DDEU and 27 members of the SDEU of Pasay City Police Station, including their heads.

The relieved police officers will be assigned at the Police Holding Administrative Office in Camp Crame.

Eleazar said Brigadier General Christopher Tambungan will replace Balba as EPD Director while Colonel Bernard Yang will replace Flores as Pasay police chief. PNA

Zero tolerance for rogue cops: PNP

MANILA -- Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has ordered the military to validate the report of Kalayaan Mayor Roberto del Mundo who claimed that Filipino fishermen were harassed in a sandbar near Pag-asa Island, the largest Philippine-occupied feature in the Kalayaan Island Group.

“Based on the initial communication from the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) Western Command (Wescom), there has been no substantiated report from our units on the ground confirming Mayor del Mundo’s statement,” Department of National Defense (DND) spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said in a statement forwarded to reporters Wednesday.

“The AFP, through the

Naval Forces West under Wescom, will nonetheless continuously validate and report any information relevant to Mayor del Mundo’s claims,” he added.

Andolong also said the area referred to by del Mundo is a traditional fishing ground for the Philippines and other countries, including China and Vietnam.

“According to Wescom, they have been encouraging fishermen from Pag-asa to continue their activities since it has been observed that they have not been fishing in the vicinity of the sandbar, even before the Chinese fishing vessels were sighted in the area. A sheltered port in Pag-asa is currently being constructed to help our fishermen,” he said. PNA

DND to verify ‘harassment’of PH fisherfolk off Pag-asa

MANILA -- The Philippine Navy’s (PN) capability to patrol the country’s vast waters got a much needed boost with the deployment of five newly-repaired ships last March 4.

Navy spokesperson Captain Jonathan Zata said Wednesday the five vessels were sent off from the Captain Moya Boat Landing, Naval Base Cavite, Sangley Point, Cavite City.

The activities were headed by Philippine Fleet commander Rear Admiral Danilo R. Rodelas, he added.

Deployed to various naval operating units were the BRP Manuel Gomez (PC-388), BRP Heracleo Alano (PC-376), BRP Tausug (LC-295), BRP Subanon (LC-291),

and BRP Bacolod City (LS-550).

These ships were activated after completing dry-docking and other-related repairs at the Naval Shipyard in Fort San Felipe, Cavite City.

“The most honorable call and excellent service to the Navy is Sea Duty. I see many examples of valuable and brave sailors who, for me, prove that the soul, spirit and life of our Navy is indeed strong,” Rodelas said during the deployment ceremony.

Deployment plays a very crucial role in the Navy’s effective conduct of maritime patrol operations, internal security operations and logistics support missions aimed at better serving the Filipino people. PNA

PH Navy deploys fivenewly-repaired ships