Palace: Duterte to decide on list of drug-linked celebrities
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2019 09:19:16 +0000
By ARGYLL GEDUCOS
PRESIDENTIAL Spokesman Salvador Panelo
President Duterte will weigh all considerations before deciding on whether or not to release the list of local celebrities linked to illegal drugs, Malacañang said Friday.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the statement after the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) expressed their support to the release of the names of the said celebrities.
Reports about celebrities linked to illegal drugs surfaced after businessman Steve Pasion, an alleged big-time party drugs supplier for celebrities and models, was killed in a PDEA buy-bust operation early this month.
In his Friday press briefing, Panelo said that he has not talked to President Duterte about the issue yet but said the Chief Executive will be deciding on it after weighing all considerations.
“I guess the President will have to determine whether or not he will direct the release of the personalities named therein,” he said.
Public clamor on the release of the names of the celebrities stemmed from President Duterte’s decision to divulge the names of politicians involved in the illegal drug trade prior the midterm elections.
According to Panelo, the President decided to release the names of narco-politicians mainly because it is the right of the public to be informed on matters that concern their health and welfare.
“What I can say is that the reason why the list of the so-called narco-politicians named were released is because the President does not want them to hold power and strengthen the drug industry in this country,” he said.
However, Panelo explained that just because celebrities are private citizens, it does not excuse them from the law.
“The President doesn’t give special treatment to anyone if you have noticed,” he said.
The Palace official, however, advised the said celebrities to rehabilitate themselves or risk losing their fans and their career.
“The message is of course, you should not be involved. The message is you should not. You have to rehabilitate yourself. You cannot be doing that because you’re destroying your own selves,” Panelo said.
“If they will not warn themselves about their involvement, certainly, it will be destructive of their own health, destructive of their own family, and certainly, they will be losing their adoring fans,” he added.