Duterte releases list of politicians allegedly involved in drug trade

September 23, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday night released the copy of a matrix containing a list of local politicians allegedly involved in drug trades.

Among the politicians in the matrix were the Parojinog clan from Ozamiz City, Salic clan from Marawi City, Mayor Noron Dadayan of Buadispo Buntong, Mayor Hadji Jamal Abdulsalam of Mulondo, Vice Mayor Noridin Adiong of Ditsaan Ramain and Mayor Pangga Abinal Molok of Maguing all of Lanao del Sur.

According to the document, members of the Salic clan allegedly involved in illegal drug trades were former Mayor Fahad "Pre" Salic, former Mayor Solitario Omar Ali and his sons Samer, Walid and Vice Mayor Arafat Salic. They were former officials of Marawi City.

The matrix also includes the list of alleged drug dealers in different areas of Lanao del Sur.

In his speech before the Davao media Friday night, Duterte said the matrix would explain the recent killings related to the ongoing anti-illegal drug operation of the government.

"I have something for you tonight... That's for public consumption already. How they operated the drug campaign in Marawi and the entire of Mindanao," Duterte said.

"That is why I said let us just release it. It's no use keeping it a secret, for what. That would explain really… the so many killings here," Duterte added.

"And it's always a question of thought. It has crept, it’s creeping and at the time when Albuera Mayor Espinosa, then the Odicta spouses were killed. I don't know how it was done," Duterte noted.

Like Mayor Rolando Parojinog Sr who died as police enforced a search warrant in his home in Ozamiz, Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr was killed as cops also implemented a search warrant in his jail cell.

Suspected Western Visayas drug lord Melvin Odicta and his wife died in a shooting incident in Caticlan, Aklan on August last year.

In an ambush interview in Camp Aguinaldo last Friday, AFP Chief of Staff General Eduardo Ano confirmed the drug matrix of the president was provided by the military.

Duterte said the information on the document was obtained after the military forces were able to penetrate Marawi City.

"That is the work of the intelligence for the last three months or two when we were able to penetrate the in... the insides of the, the entrails of the city," he said.

"There they discovered that the Maute was really preparing for a long haul. Until now, … they never ran out of ordnance, explosives, ammunition, and all, " Duterte added. Robina Asido/DMS