Duterte won’t release names of celebrities, private individuals involved in illegal drugs

April 5, 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte said he would not make public the names of show business personalities and other private individuals who were allegedly involved in illegal drugs.

In a speech Thursday night during the 31st annual convention of the Prosecutors' League of the the Philippines in Palawan, Duterte said that these private individuals are different from politicians seeking public office.

Duterte has allowed the disclosure of the names of alleged "narco-politicians" in time for the May midterm elections.

"This is the most appropriate time to say it. The list of the addicts or drug users or traffickers, the artists and other people, I won't release," he said.

"You know why? They are not seeking public office. But those who are seeking public office and will someday, if they win, hold power, that's the problem. I am morally, legally bound to tell the people that these are your candidates," Duterte said.

He said if the people would still vote for those in the narco-list, it would be up to them, that is part of democracy.

"But the people ought to know and that is my solemn duty to inform the public, the right to information and to know who are the idiots there," he explained.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has said that they are monitoring certain celebrities and even members of the media who were allegedly involved in illegal drugs. Celerina Monte/DMS