How did the narco list come about? PDEA explains

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Friday said that it obtained various versions of the government’s list of drug personalities.

PDEA Director General Moro Virgilio Lazo recalled that the first drug list was the one released by then president Rodrigo Duterte called the “President’s Drug List” or narco list in December 2016.

“In December 2016, the first President’s Drug List or popularly known as PRRD list or narco list was obtained. On September 28, 2017 the second list was obtained, this was merged in the first list,” said Lazo before the House Quad Committee.

But the list evolved throughout the years until it was renamed Inter-Agency Drug Information Database in May 2019.

PDEA later obtained five softcopies of different versions of the drugwatch list.

“In our effort to come up with a comprehensive study, obtained the following e-copies: ‘New Target List’, ‘Original List’, ‘August 2020 As of Consolidated WatchList of Drug Personalities Update,’ ‘PRRD List PRO NIR’, ‘IDID List.’”

But PDEA said that only the files “New Target List” and “Original List” were both authored by the Philippine National Police - Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Meanwhile, “PRRD PRO NIR” and “Aug2020” did not undergo official validation, said Lazo.

“There are inconsistencies/differences between different lists,” he said.

The PDEA chief noted that there are double or triple entries in the list, insufficient details, some names on the picture gallery included in the files are not included in the list, among others.

Further, the anti-drug agency noted that the name of slain Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board secretary Wesley Barayuga was never included in the “IDID List” file or the official list.

PDEA earlier clarified before the QuadComm that Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog was only included in the drug list in 2017 after Duterte mentioned him in a speech. — BAP, GMA Integrated News

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