It is utterly unnecessary for President Rodrigo Duterte to threaten Vice President Leni Robredo with dismissal as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) if she would reveal “state secrets” on illegal drugs.

Robredo knows only too well that “state secrets” must not be made public nor shared with unauthorized persons in order not to jeopardize national security and she would treat classified information given to her as confidential.

But why should the narco list of high profile narcotics traders and users as well as the records of those involved in extrajudicial killings related to the brutal war on drugs be elevated to the status of “state secrets”?

In America’s Old West and until now in most countries, the watchlist of dangerous criminal suspects are publicly released and posted to prevent their commission of more crimes and help in their capture.

No less than Duterte has previously released on several occasions the names of high profile suspects in the drug list which included businessmen, politicians, generals and police officers, among others.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN