PDEA-7: We can’t delist Loot

CEBU, Philippines — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas yesterday said it cannot eliminate former Daanbantayan mayor Vicente Loot’s name from the “narco list,” saying only its national headquarters can do so in coordination with other law enforcement agencies.

The FREEMAN sought the reaction of PDEA-7 after Police Regional Office-7 Director, Brigadier General Debold Sinas, said that removing Loot’s name from the list would be up to PDEA and the Palace.

PDEA-7 spokesperson Leia Albiar Alcantara, in a text message, said that if Loot will submit documents to their office to dispel the accusations against him, such documents will be forwarded to the national headquarters.

“National level man gud ang adjudication, with other intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Dili ta maka delist diri sa regional level. If naa siya i-submit nga documents, we will endorse it to the national,” Alcantara said.

She also said PDEA-7 cannot give a timeframe as to how long the delisting process will take since the national headquarters will have to confer the information with other agencies that validated the narco list.

Meanwhile, PDEA-7 Director Wardley Getalla, also in a text message, said they have not received any documents from Loot’s camp.

“The office has no copy of the documents pertaining to the request of former Mayor Loot to NBI, so we cannot comment on it yet. But there is an adjudication board in the national level composed of intelligence and law enforcement agencies that is tasked to investigate and validate reports of PRRD-listed personalities,” Getalla said.

Loot recently requested the National Bureau of Investigation-7 to do an independent probe into reports he was allegedly “back into the business of distributing drugs in the region.”

Sinas revealed the information, citing President Duterte as his source.

The former police general and former mayor has vehemently denied the allegations hurled against him, saying he is open to any investigation and is willing to answer charges if true.

“I respectfully request an independent investigation to be conducted by your (NBI-7) office on the matter to establish the truth about the accusations, past and present,” Loot’s letter read. (FREEMAN)