3 mayors on narco list join PDP-Laban

ILOILO CITY , Philippines  —  Three Iloilo town mayors on President Duterte’s list of local officials with alleged links to the illegal drug trade have joined the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

Mariano Malones of Maasin and Alex Centena of Calinog were among 5,000 other politicians from the third district of Iloilo who took their oath before Speaker and PDP-Laban secretary-general Pantaleon Alvarez at the Pototan Astrodome on Thursday.

Mayor Siegfredo Betita of Carles town, who was also on Duterte’s narco list, had earlier taken his oath as PDP-Laban member.

In August 2016, Duterte said the mayors are among the  “narco officials” in the country.

Reports that Malones and Centena would join the ruling party circulated last October.

Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. said the names of the three mayors have been removed from Duterte’s updated narco list, as confirmed by Alvarez before the oath-taking.

Malones said being cleared of involvement in the illegal drug trade is more important than his membership in the ruling party.

At least seven Iloilo local officials were included in Duterte’s list of alleged “narco politicians.” All have denied the allegations.

The President had said Iloilo is the “most shabulized” province.