List of high-value drug targets open to Robredo in closed-door meeting
Published Nov 16, 2019 08:15 pm
By Chito Chavez
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino on Saturday expressed willingness to provide Vice President Leni Robredo, his co-chair in the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), the list of high-value targets (HVT) in a closed-door meeting with only the personnel with security clearance.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron N. Aquino (KEVIN TRISTAN ESPIRITU / MANILA BULLETIN)
He issued the clarification to dispel claims of his reported absolute refusal to provide the Vice-President with the HVT list which drew howls of protests, mostly from the opposition.
Aquino admitted that PDEA did not provide Robredo the HVT list, although there was a previous discussion in which it was decided that the Vice President will be given the roster under strict confidentiality. He said the list is considered classified information “that is why not everybody must have a copy of it.”
He explained that security clearance refers to the access given to employees on classified information.
Sa pinaka simpleng explanation – kapag binigay namin ang listahan kay VP Robredo hindi na namin alam kung sino-sino ang magkakaroon ng access sa listahan (In the simplest explanation, if we were to give VP Robredo the list, we will have no knowledge on who will have access to it). That will compromise our negation operations,” Aquino said.
The PDEA chief also cited the “need to know rule” in law enforcement where not everybody are given access to sensitive and classified information.
“I myself has no copy of the list in my possession. What I am doing is I check it from time to time with my intelligence service and conduct workshops against these personalities,” Aquino said.
He also clarified that this is not an act of resistance or disrespect to Robredo, rather this is a mere standard operating procedure on law enforcement operations.
“Imagine what will happen to the efforts of law enforcement if that list landed on wrong hands?” Aquino asked.
“The classified information like that of the list of high-value targets is not being discussed during any Inter-agency Committee Against Illegal Drugs (ICAD) meeting,” he said.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron N. Aquino (KEVIN TRISTAN ESPIRITU / MANILA BULLETIN)
He issued the clarification to dispel claims of his reported absolute refusal to provide the Vice-President with the HVT list which drew howls of protests, mostly from the opposition.
Aquino admitted that PDEA did not provide Robredo the HVT list, although there was a previous discussion in which it was decided that the Vice President will be given the roster under strict confidentiality. He said the list is considered classified information “that is why not everybody must have a copy of it.”
He explained that security clearance refers to the access given to employees on classified information.
Sa pinaka simpleng explanation – kapag binigay namin ang listahan kay VP Robredo hindi na namin alam kung sino-sino ang magkakaroon ng access sa listahan (In the simplest explanation, if we were to give VP Robredo the list, we will have no knowledge on who will have access to it). That will compromise our negation operations,” Aquino said.
The PDEA chief also cited the “need to know rule” in law enforcement where not everybody are given access to sensitive and classified information.
“I myself has no copy of the list in my possession. What I am doing is I check it from time to time with my intelligence service and conduct workshops against these personalities,” Aquino said.
He also clarified that this is not an act of resistance or disrespect to Robredo, rather this is a mere standard operating procedure on law enforcement operations.
“Imagine what will happen to the efforts of law enforcement if that list landed on wrong hands?” Aquino asked.
“The classified information like that of the list of high-value targets is not being discussed during any Inter-agency Committee Against Illegal Drugs (ICAD) meeting,” he said.