(Eagle News) – Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Martin Diño defended on Thursday his directive asking barangay officials to submit a list of drug personalities and suspected criminals in their respective areas of responsibility.
Amid criticisms from human rights advocates, Undersecretary Diño said in an interview that the list will undergo a strict verification process.
He also said the agency will not solely base its actions on reports from the barangays.
It will also consider intelligence reports from non-government organizations (NGOs) and will compare these to the information gathered by the DILG.
Diño’s order to barangay captains was criticized by Atty. Gilbert Andres of the Center for International Law, who called it “unconstitutional.”
He said that such a list could serve as basis to arrest and kill unwanted personalities.