They may be current or former “Kapuso,” “Kapamilya,” or Kapatid,” but definitely at least 60 singers, dancers, and actors belong to the “kadroga” showbusiness stable whose names appear prominently in the list of suspected drug users and pushers in the entertainment industry.
Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption Chairman Martin Dino admitted to reporters that the VACC master list of drug personalities has included current or former entertainment celebrities.
“We believe our list has reached the President. We do hope it will be the same personalities already included in his list,” said Dino after his appearance at the Kapihan sa Annabel’s news forum in Quezon City.
Asked if there are media persons involved, he made an affirmative nod.
Dino lamented that among those included in the narcotics list are young celebrities.
Out of the 60 names included in the list, ten have been tagged as peddlers of party drugs and the more popular shabu or the poor man’s cocaine.
Asked for clues on the identities, Dino said it is no longer important to the VACC what network or production outfit they belong, saying that they are mere kadroga to him.
The list is now being validated by the Presidential Drug Enforcement Agency.
He rejected calls by actor Robin Padilla and other members of the entertainment industry to make the list confidential, saying that fairness dictates that nobody should be spared under the Duterte anti-drug war.
Padilla has reportedly appealed to government to temporarily put on hold the disclosure of identities of movie and television personalities involved in drugs, saying that they should also be given a chance to reform.
(Ben R. Rosario)
