(Eagle News)–The release of the so-called narco-list ahead of the elections is the “call” of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Commission on Elections said on Monday, March 4.
“If someone wants to release the narco list, then that is their call entirely. Wala po kaming.. hindi po kami involved diyan,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said.
Comelec chair Sheriff Abbas said the release of the list would actually be a good guide for voters.
In a radio interview on Sunday, March 3, Comelec commissioner Rowena Guanzon said, however, that releasing the list was a form of “negative campaigning,” and was “unfair.”
“Huwag niyong iboto ‘to ng mga taong kasi mga drug pusher ito.’ E di negative campaigning iyan. Unfair naman ‘yun,” Guanzon had said.
But Abas noted a candidate’s inclusion in the narco-list was not a grounds for disqualification from the 2019 election race anyway.
He said if a candidate was included in the list, it only meant there were drug-related allegations against him or her.
President Rodrigo Duterte has backed the release of the list ahead of the elections slated in May.
