By Paulo Loreto Lim

Following last month’s PDP-Laban oath-taking at the Pototan Astrodome, where around 4,000 local Iloilo officials joined the ruling party, President Rodrigo Duterte, who was in the province recently to attend the wake for slain overseas Filipino worker Joanna Daniela Demafelis, reacted to news that accused ‘narco-politicians’ were among those joining the party.

“I have to check,” he said. “If they are really involved in drugs then I am sorry, PDP cannot help you.”

Earlier reports showed Calinog Mayor Alex Centena and Maasin Mayor Mar Malones both joined the party despite still being considered ‘narco-politicians.’ However, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor, Sr. claimed House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez informed him the two had already been cleared.

The president did offer some encouragement if, in fact, the two had been cleared of links with illegal drugs.

“If you are clean and you [were] unnecessarily dragged into the web of intrigue, then we can also have a remedy on that,” he added.

Earlier this month, after being pressed on the status of the aforementioned mayors, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Region VI Director Wardley Getalla affirmed his agency did not have the authority to remove names from the ‘narco-politicians’ list and could not confirm if the two had been cleared./PLL, WDJ