MANILA – Sen. Panfilo Lacson slammed Malacañang’s disclosure that foreign governments provided wiretapped information against local politicians allegedly involved in the narcotics trade and other illegal activities.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo on Tuesday said the international community gave Manila wiretapped information, as he vouched for the integrity of another narco-list that the government plans to release.
“Malacañang’s claim that the narco-list information is based on wiretaps by foreign governments doesn’t make things right – unless those who conducted the wiretap were armed with judicial authorization,” Lacson said on Wednesday.
If the wiretaps were authorized by the judiciary, its proceeds “should have been used as evidence in court as it has strong probative and evidentiary value to prosecute the personalities involved,” he added.
But if the wiretap was illegal, it “is nothing but the fruit of a poisonous tree,” said Lacson, who is a former national police chief.
“Is the administration admitting to be complicit in the commission of a crime by foreign governments?” he asked. “Is it now a government policy to condone invasion of privacy of its own nationals by China, Israel and the United States?”
Wiretapping is illegal under Philippine law, but there is nothing wrong with receiving wiretapped information from other countries, said Panelo, who is also the Chief Legal Counsel of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Authorities next week will release a narco-list tagging 82 personalities, 64 of whom are candidates in the May 13 midterm elections, said Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino.
“Six or seven” congressmen are in the list, he said, but declined to give additional details.
PDEA and the interior department last year named some 200 village officials allegedly involved with the narcotics, just a month ahead of the May barangay elections. (With ABS-CBN News/PN
