Senate probers learned on Wednesday Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel allegedly violated standard operating procedures (SOP) in the seizure of P6.4 billion worth of shabu from China, raising concerns it could weaken the case against suspects involved in the illegal-drug shipment.
Questioning witnesses and resource persons at the resumption of their inquiry, Sen. Richard J. Gordon, Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman, elicited information from Customs officials that the “SOP was not followed” in opening the 23 crates declared to contain chopping boards but turned out to be 600 kilos of shabu, or methampetamine hydrochloride.
“The evidence was contaminated,” Gordon lamented, adding that instead of an “LOA [letter of authority] to inspect the shipment, the BOC officers should have gotten a search warrant.”
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Isidro de la Peña, testifying at the hearing, confirmed the violation of SOP in drug seizures. He reported that, instead of waiting for PDEA, the crates containing shabu were already pried open when PDEA agents arrived at the scene. “We wont be able to support the case anymore,” he said.
De la Peña recalled that the BOC called PDEA between 9 and 10 a.m. PDEA agents alerted about the seizure, led by PDEA-NCR chief Wilkins Villanueve, testified that upon arrival they found the drug canisters “already on the floor”.
“I have no personal knowledge of where it came from,” Villanueva said.
For his part, Gordon expressed disappointment and indicated the committee is likely to recommend filing appropriate charges against erring officials who mishandled the case.
Witness protection
IN a related development, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said it is looking into the possibility of placing Customs broker Mark Taguba under its Witness Protection Program (WPP) following his testimony before the House of Representatives detailing alleged corruption in the agency.
In an interview with reporters, Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II said the DOJ would review Taguba’s eligibility upon receipt of the latter’s application for WPP coverage.
Although, Aguirre said, there seems to be a basis for Taguba to be covered by the WPP.
“I believe there is basis for him to apply for WPP. But, of course, in order to do that, we have to assess his qualifications,” he explained.
“The process is simple. You make an application and submit your affidavit, then we could give you immediately a provisional coverage. But, of course to be formally accepted for full coverage, we have to assess the affidavits whether you are qualified or not,” he pointed out.
It can be recalled that during the House hearing on the entry of the P6.4-billion shabu shipment in the country from China, Taguba implicated a trusted aide of BOC chief Nicanor E. Faeldon, along with several others, in the reported P270 million in bribes to BOC personnel for prompt release of shipments.
Among those named by Taguba were Customs Director Milo Maestrecampo, Faeldon’s former colleague in the military; Teddy Raval of the Intelligence Group; intelligence officer Teodoro Sagaral; district collector Vincent Maronilla; Director Niel Estrella of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service; a certain “Major Gutierrez” who turned out to be already deceased; a certain Jayson and Maita, the latter from the formal entry division.
Taguba also mentioned Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte during the hearing, saying that “some of those he claimed to have bribed in Customs dropped the name of Vice Mayor Duterte, that they were collecting money for the President’s son.”