Duterte admits narco-politicians being wiretapped

September 22, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte has admitted of wiretapping some narco-politicians.

In a media interview in Marawi City on Thursday night, Duterte said he would order an investigation against narco-politicians and he would punish those who would be proven corrupt and into illegal drugs.

"But I'm sure, whenever he was talking to...I was listening to him," he said without clearly saying who was the politician whom he already wiretapped.

In the same interview, he kept on mentioning Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog and the late Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog.

"Don't ask me how I --- What kind of listening do I... It was a whisper from God and I was listening to him. So they were all tapped," Duterte said.

Duterte has accused Mabilog of being a drug protector. The local official has been denying the allegation. Parojinog, on the other hand, was killed in anti-drug raid in Ozamiz.

Duterte said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the martial law implementor, told him "that they want all mayors tainted with corruption and drugs be placed out of power."

He said he might suspend, censure or dismiss those local executives. "Most likely, if it’s really positive, I will mete the worst punishment," he said.

Duterte has said the money used to finance rebellion in Marawi came from drugs.

Under the law, wiretapping is illegal unless a court order has been secured.

Asked on the court order for wiretapping the politicians, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella in a press briefing on Friday said, "I’m sure that being a lawyer, he was operating within bounds of legality." Celerina Monte/DMS