25 out of 36 in Duterte’s narco list won in Eleksyon 2019 —PDEA

More than half of the politicians who ran for office despite their being on President Rodrigo Duterte's narco list won in the recent elections.

According to Jun Veneracion's report for 24 Oras on Thursday, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said that 36 out of the 46 "narco-politicians" in the list bared by the President on March 14, 2019 sought posts in the mid-term polls.

The PDEA said 25 of them won.

They include 18 candidates for mayor; three for vice mayor; two for congressman; one for vice governor; and one for councilor.

Six of the winning candidates who were included in the narco-list were said to be in Calabarzon, while four were in ARMM and Central Luzon.

"Siguro kung hindi naman na-reveal ito, hindi na reveal ng Presidente, baka nanalo lahat," PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino told GMA News.

He said the victory of candidates in the drug list did not come as a surprise, citing a similar incidence in previous barangay elections.

"Siguro nakagamit talaga sila ng pera nila during that time kaya sila nanalo. secondly, meron naman sigurong narco-politicians that are doing good," the PDEA chief surmised.

"Kunwari ang isang mayor ay Robin Hood," he added.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo likewise said in a press briefing that voters may have received assistance  from the alleged narco-politicians.

"Pragmatic 'yung mga botante. Tumutulong sa kanila, pag iyong mga anak daw nila, may sakit, dinadala sa ospital, medisina, gan'yan, so kahit naman sa drug list, binoboto pa rin nila," Panelo said.

"But the President's already warned, kaya sinasabi niya, bahala kayo, ako sinasabi ko na sa inyo," he added.

All 46 personalities Duterte named by the President were already facing complaints before the Ombudsman in connection with their alleged drug activities.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government  (DILG), on the other hand, emphasized that the candidates' victory in the elections did not exempt them from the complaints.

"Kahit naman nanalo kayo, kung talagang may kaso kayo, sorry," DILG Undersecretary Rico Judge Echiverri said. —Margaret Claire Layug/NB, GMA News