Duterte admits to wiretapping politicians accused of having drug links

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said yesterday that he wiretapped the calls of politicians he believes have links to the drug trade.

“I was listening to him. Don’t ask me what kind of listening device. It was a whisper from God I was listening to. So they were all tapped,” he was quoted in Rappler.

“I was the one who ordered it. I cannot name the people there – the police or,” Duterte added without finishing his sentence (something he often does).

He said that he wiretapped calls of the late mayor of Ozamis Reynaldo Parojinog and Jed Mabilog, the current mayor of Iloilo City.

Duterte accused Mabilog of protecting drug lords in his city.

“I was not saying Mayor Mabilog was making shabu (meth). I said he was protector number one. Remember my statement the early days when I was president. I called the attention of Iloilo people. Your city or your province is the most ‘shabulized,’ if that is a word,” Duterte said.

However, there’s one small problem.

If he really did wiretap these politicians and did so without a court order, that is definitely illegal.

According to the Anti-Wiretapping Law (Republic Act No 4200), wiretapping can only be done legally if a court order is obtained. It is unclear whether or not Duterte secured one before wiretapping the politicians he mentioned.

When reporters asked his spokesperson Ernesto Abella on Friday if Duterte waited for a court order before instructing police to wiretap the mayors, he replied vaguely, “I’m sure that, being a lawyer, he was operating within bounds of legality.”

But even if Duterte didn’t obtain a court order, it looks like he can’t be charged for breaking the law, at least not right now. This is because of a provision in the 1987 constitution that grants the president immunity from being sued or charged with crimes while he is in office.