Hontiveros backs Drilon in move to reopen drug war investigations amid viral videos

Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday supported Minority Leader Senator Franklin Drilon's suggestion to reopen the Senate's investigations on illegal drugs after a video linking former Davao Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte circulated on the internet.

"Disturbing documents and data trail"

"I fully support the move to reopen the hearing on illegal drugs, especially in light of these videos. The videos presented disturbing documents and data trail that cannot be ignored," Hontiveros said.

On Thursday, fellow opposition lawmaker and former Senate President Franklin Drilon called on the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to reopen the hearings on illegal drugs.

A video entitled "Ang Totoong Narcolist" shows a list of names of alleged drug lords and the amounts deposited in their bank accounts. It also says that the code name "Polo Delta" belongs to Paolo Duterte and that the bank accounts belongs to Agriculture Undersecretary Waldo Carpio, brother of lawyer Manases Carpio, who is the husband of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

Alias "Bikoy" said he personally saw the young Duterte's tattoo which supposedly bears the alphanumeric code assigned to the former vice mayor in his tara collection.

"The allegations deserve serious and strict investigation. And if they prove to be true, they expose the hypocrisy of this administration. The President himself has admitted that his drug war has failed. Too many lives have been lost, government refuses to implement a public health approach to the drug problem & we are nowhere near to solving it. Transparency is the first step to accountability. The truth deserves to see the light of day," Hontiveros said.