The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency yesterday denied that the narco list or the list of politicians involved in the illegal drugs trade in the country came from “wiretapped” information from foreign countries.
PDEA director and spokesman Derrick Arnold Carreon said “as far as PDEA is concerned, the narco list came from its counterparts from the local anti-narcotics agencies.’’
Carreon’s statement was concurred in by PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino who said the information about politicians in the narco list came from local government agencies.
“Wala po kami natatanggap na mga information or intelligence regarding sa narco list na nanggagaling po sa ibang bansa,” Aquino said.
Aquino explained the roster emanated from the 2016 list collected from the reports of various law enforcement agencies.
He noted that this information initially came from PDEA field personnel which was collated into a data then processed to be part of the intelligence report.
The PDEA chief admitted having no knowledge of issues regarding wiretapping incidents including the mode on how it was conducted and what specific agencies conducted the process.
Aquino clarified PDEA’s foreign counterparts were merely the agency on supply reduction of illegal drugs but not the narco list.
Malacanang had earlier said that the narco list came from wiretapped information from overseas.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo mentioned Israel, the US, Russia, and China provided the country with the supposed wiretapped information.
Wiretapping in the country is illegal under Republic Act No. 4200 or the Anti-Wiretapping Law unless authorized by the court. (Chito Chavez)
