(Eagle News) — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Monday, April 30, released the validated list of barangay officials allegedly engaged in illegal drug activities.
PDEA Chief Aaron Aquino said the names of 207 individuals in the list was validated by four government agencies.
Of the 207, 90 were barangay captains and 117 were barangay kagawad.
PDEA said the most number of involved barangay officials was in Region 5, with 70.
This, PDEA said, was followed by the Cordillera Administrative Region, with 34; and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with 13.
According to PDEA, apart from the 207, the names of 274 more are still being validated.
In justifying the release of the names, the PDEA said several decisions of the Supreme Court “affirmed that the right to privacy is not absolute when there is compelling reason to prioritize the interest of the state.”
“The disclosure of valuable and valid information is needed to curtail and minimize corruption amongst officials of the government, to promote the highest standard of honesty in public service and to elevate morality in public administration,” PDEA said.
According tot he agency, the Constitution “likewise, protects the public’s basic right to information and access to government transactions, documents and operations.”
PDEA released the names even if President Duterte said over the weekend that it was not yet time to do so.
But Aquino said the President was referring to the deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers to Kuwait, with which the Philippines apparently has strained relations following reports of OFW abuse in the Middle Eastern country.
