Loot happy to be summoned by Duterte

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement that he will summon the mayors linked to illegal drugs was welcomed by the family of Daanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot.

Loot, who has been repeatedly been linked by President to the illicit drug trade, see this as a chance to personally meet Mr. Duterte to profess his innocence, said the mayor’s stepson, Cebu fourth district Provincial Board Member Sun Shimura.

Shimura told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview on Wednesday that President Duterte’s plan to invite and talk with “narco-politicians” in Malacañang a welcome development as it would be “just fair” that the President gets to hear the side of those being accused of being drug lords or protectors of drug lords.

“Well, actually, Mayor Loot always wanted to meet the President to express and voice out his side sa pag-drag sa iyahang name (when his name was dragged to the illegal drug trade). If the President is going to summon the mayors in the narco-list para iyahang i-storya (to talk to them), I think that would be the best way,” said Shimura.

But he added that they will just wait when the President would ask to see Loot.

“(If this pushes through), our family will be happy about it. Because he (Loot), as far as I know, has been attempting to meet the President so he (the President) can know his side,” he added.

Shortly after he assumed office in 2016, the President bared the names of local officials in his so-called narcolist, including that of Loot.

Loot, a retired police general, vehemently denied he was a drug lord and/or protector. He made several attempts to meet the President and clear his name but it remained fruitless until now.

Loot has also been the subject of the President’s tirades multiple times.

On Tuesday evening, while on a visit to Cebu, President Duterte made another jab at Loot during his speech after he announced that he would summon all mayors who were linked to illegal drugs.

Aside from Loot, former Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama was also included in the President’s narco-list.

Unlike Loot, Rama was granted an audience by Mr. Duterte last March, details of which the former has refused to divulge. However, Rama has yet to be cleared of the accusations made against him.

In a separate interview yesterday, Rama told CDN that he was not expecting the President to summon him anymore.

“I was already granted with an audience. And I’ve been through the PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency), the police. I underwent several drug screenings. What’s there to talk about?” he added.