The much-awaited list of drug personalities in the government will soon be given to the governors upon orders by Pres. Rodrigo Duterte after speaking to the 81 provincial chief executives of the country whom he called to a meeting in Malacanang last Thursday.

He gave the thick “drug list” to DILG Sec. Mike Sueno, in front of the governors during his first meeting with all the governors in the country.  He instructed the DILG secretary to release the copies to the various governors in the country for them to know who are these drug personalities in their respective areas.

Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto who is the secretary general of the League of Provinces told theChronicle the President wants the governors to get hold of the copy (per region) so they would know  the drug personalities both in government and private sector.

He said the President strongly appealed to the governors to help in the fight against drug addiction in their respective provinces.   

“Nahihiya nga ako sa inyo kasi isang mayor lang ako (who became president) at kayo ay mga governador,” Pres. Duterte said as he sincerely asked every governor to be serious in the arrest of drug personalities found in the drug list.

He told the governors that they should fully support the complex narcotic war that, in the future  might ultimately lead to a drug-free Philippines. 

Gov. Edgar Chatto said the president himself confessed he did  not imagine the extent of the drug problem plaguing the country.

That  the menace to have gone this worst until he became the highest official of the land and got access to all the  information sources, the governor said.

The president called all the members of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) who came in full force to Malacañang on Thursday to discuss the peace and order condition of the country.

Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Singson is the national president of the LPP, also called the governors’ league, with Chatto who is the national secretary-general.

While Duterte has been so visible  in his anger at illegal drugs, the meeting was described by Chatto to be “very cordial,” adding that it was a “very nice dialogue” with the president.

Chatto said the President even gestured himself like a local official, as the governors are, so that they “talked in one language of governance.”

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Sec. Ismael Sueno introduced Duterte as “President Mayor.”

THE DREADED NARCO LIST

Duterte gave Sueno a copy of the narco-list containing the names of public officials and private personalities who are allegedly involved in illegal drugs.

It was the first time that the thick list was provided by the president to the interior secretary for appropriate action by the peace and order councils under the DILG.

But before handing the copy to the DILG secretary, the president read an initial part of the list containing the identities of the alleged “narco-captains” in certain northern Luzon barangays.

Chatto said the president asked them to get hold of the records from the list per region. 

The governor said it is expected of the DILG to “share the list” to the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC).

Chatto does like to see it “so that we could act accordingly,” including the possible build-up of cases.

“The governors support the anti-drug war.  I have no fear and doubt about it,” Chatto said on the live broadcast of his weekly media forum “Kita ug Ang Gobernador.”

Duterte reiterated that, as the number one leader of the country, he takes full responsibility of the war on drugs.

He asked help from the governors using their authority over the local officials in their respective provinces—and the people in general—in eradicating the drug menace in his term.

The president showed his high respect for the governors.

Chatto will echo the president’s clear message at the special meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) late this month and provincial assembly of the Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB) on February 1-2.

The DILG will require all mayors to attend the PPOC meeting.

Duterte earlier called the mayors in the country and also asked their support to the anti-drug campaign.

The clearing of barangays of drugs is one of the main topics of the LnB assembly, which attendance by all chairmen of Bohol’s 1,109 barangays is made mandatory by the DILG.

While it condemns extra-judicial killings, the church has supported the relentless anti-drug drive in Bohol, including the community-based drug rehabilitation program.

EQUAL HELP,

FEDERALISM

At his conference with the governors, the president spoke for over an hour, after which he had “very informal” group discussions with them.

With the election having long been over, Duterte said he will help all provinces with equal treatment.

The president repeatedly said he is just like the governors who are local officials and he likes to support the local government units.

He emphasized his major commitments and leading advocacies, including the country’s transition to federalism which he wants to happen in his time.

Chatto said Duterte openly expressed his determination to lead the country toward federalism regardless of the type, model or mixture of the many school of thoughts about the system.

The president largely believed that federalism could lead to to the solution to the lingering problems as those in Mindanao.

Duterte is the first and only president ever to have come from Mindanao, from the rank of the local government unit as a city mayor  clinching the presidency, and even from the judiciary as a prosecutor before entering politics.

The president-governors’ dialogue was also attended by Philippine National Police Director-General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Department of Budget and Management Sec. Benjamin Diokno.

Both the police chief and budget secretary will attend the general assembly of the governors’ league in the second week of February. (with reports from Ven rebo Arigo)