President Rodrigo Duterte defended having the names of dead public officials in his list of 159 people allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.
He spoke out about the list after Supreme Court Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno penned a letter to him, noting that one of the seven judges he named died in 2008.
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“Sabi niya, ‘di ko alam kung bakit ganito, ‘yung ibang judges, patay na o napaalis na sa pwesto for ignorance of the law or maybe for graft and corruption,” Duterte told the troops of the 4th Infantry Division at Camp Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro City.
“Bakit? I just wanted to impress to the public na noon pa man alam na namin ang negosyo ninyo. Since your name is there leave it, and I will publish it the way it is there. Bakit ko i-exempt ang namatay?” Duterte said.
In her letter, Sereno wrote that “the Court would consider it important to know the source and basis of any allegation.”
Duterte said that he trusts the people who prepared the list – Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Chief Dir. Isidro Lapena and National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
PNP chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has earlier admitted to the errors in the list, with the media uncovering more dead or dismissed public officials in the list, which also contains one non-legislator.
Sources: (gmanetwork.com, rappler.com)
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