QUEZON CITY, Aug. 9 – Following President Rodrigo Duterte’s revelation of the names of local officials who are reportedly linked to the illegal drug trade, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael “Mike” D. Sueno said the Department is all geared up for a swift and fair investigation on their alleged involvement. “We assure you that the probe will be swift yet fair to the accused,” Sueno declared.
Early Sunday morning, the President named alleged drug personalities involved in illegal drugs among them are police and military personnel, judges, the military and local government officials.
The DILG Secretary said that if the concerned local officials are provincial elective and city elective officials who are under the DILG’s administrative jurisdiction, the Department can immediately commence the inquiry after getting an authority from the Office of the President to investigate. He said the DILG may use reports and available evidence against local chief executives (LCEs).
On the other hand, if the suspected narco-politicians to be named belong either to the municipal government or barangay government, Sueno said their respective higher sanggunians will have administrative jurisdiction over them or in both instances the Office of the Ombudsman. “The President himself said that this has to stop. It’s plain and simple.
The President wants a clean government. This is not for the merit of this administration. We are doing this for us Filipino people and our descendants,” he said. Grave misconduct Sueno said that he directed the Department’s Legal, Legislative and Liaison Service (LLLS) to prioritize the probe on ‘narco-politicos’. Atty. Edward Justine R. Orden, Acting Director of DILG – LLLS, said, “Definitely it shouldn’t take a year and should not even take six months to do case build-up on one alleged narco-politician.”
“As I see it, they may be pressed with grave misconduct. In first offense, it is already punishable with dismissal from service,” he said. However, Orden added, “Kung aatasan tayo ng Pangulo na maging complainant, we can do that, and after gathering the pieces of evidence, we will file the cases to the Office of the Ombudsman.”
Rule of succession Sueno said that the public need not worry of disruption of local government services should their local elective officials be under probe.
He explained that even if local chief executives are under investigation, they could still perform their duties unless they are told by the courts or if they are placed under preventive suspension during the investigation of the case. “If that would be the case, then the rule of succession will be followed.” (DILG)
