The Department of National Defense (DND) vowed Thursday to unmask and investigate politicians reportedly using drug money to finance their election campaign.

Likewise, it will also look into reports that some presidential candidates are being supported by drug lords.

Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales said this Thursday in the wake of the 668-page US State Department report disclosing that some Filipino politicians are using drug money to influence the election.

“That’s a very serious statement. Titingnan natin kung sino ‘yan (We will look into this report to unmask the personalities involved here),” he said in an ambush interview shortly after the awarding ceremony of this year’s Outstanding Philippine Soldiers in Malacañang’s Rizal Hall.

“Our intelligence units will study that,” he stressed.

He admitted that the DND has been receiving reports that some local officials, including congressmen, councilors, and mayors are involved in drug trade.

But Gonzales admitted the DND has yet to verify these reports.

“Tuwing may election may ganitong klaseng news na lumalabas,” he said. (“During elections, this kind of news came out.”)

Asked if the DND will conduct an investigation, he said: “Sa department ko, wala pero ngayon tingnan natin kasi seryosong accusation ‘yan.” (“In my department, there is none, but now we are looking into this serious accusation.”)

In its “Money Laundering and Financial Crimes” report, the US State Department warned that narco-politics might influence the May 10 local and national polls.

“The proceeds of corruption are also a source of laundered funds,” the report said.

Malacañang said it “shares everyone’s concern over the global tide of drug money reaching everywhere, including the Philippines,” even as it expressed support to tighter enforcement of anti-money laundering laws and any other measures needed to combat this global problem.

With the US State Department report on the country’s drug situation, Lakas-Kampi-CMD senatorial bets Silvestre Bello and Rey Langit urged all candidates to submit themselves to voluntary drug tests.

This developed as Nationalist People’s Coalition senatorial candidate Vicente “Tito” Sotto III chided fellow politicians for reacting wrongly to the report that expressed the US government’s concern over the influence of illegal drug money to the results of the May 10 elections.

Sotto said the US State Department does not have a list of candidates involved in illegal drug trafficking, adding that it is the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) that has the identities of the country’s most notorious personalities engaged in narcotics.

Opposition Sen. Francis Escudero quickly demanded that the Americans should name politicians engaged in illegal drugs. (With a report from Ben R. Rosario)