Bribe attempts reveal a paper trail to Subic shabu smugglers
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines -- Officials from three government agencies disclosed on Tuesday that there were several attempts to bribe the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) personnel to release the multi-billion peso shabu (metamphetamine hydrochloride) cargo seized here last week.
Officials of SBMA, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and Philippine Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) said in a press forum that the bribe attempts of Anthony Ang, Chinese suspected to have smuggled 714.66 kilograms of shabu in the freeport, were “coursed through brokers."
SBMA administrator Armand Arreza said Ang’s brokers offered P2 million bribe to SBMA Law Enforcement officials on Tuesday.
They increased the bribe to P50 million when the bribe was denied, according to Arreza.
“Ang’s brokers asked that the cargo be released quietly. They asked not to open the boxes,” Arreza said.
He did not identify the brokers and those who were supposed to receive the bribe pending investigation.
He said they thought that the questionable boxes which were unloaded on Sunday night contained undocumented cigarettes.
He said the K-9 sniffing dogs did not find anything irregular at first since the boxes were tightly wrapped. Ang asked SBMA on Monday to give him 24 hours to produce the documents which he claimed would come from Hong Kong.
But when Ang did not show up the next day, the SBMA opened the boxes.
“If the boxes are caught being shipped out, that’s smuggling. We open the boxes immediately. If these are caught inside the freeport especially if the person involved is a locator, we give him the benefit of the doubt,” he told reporters here.
He said Ang tried to smuggle the illegal drugs early Monday. He called up his driver Rolando Labandelo to take the drugs out from the warehouse while Ang waited at a gasoline station.
Arreza said the SBMA law enforcement personnel held Ang when they saw his Mitsubishi Outlander in a restricted area of the freeport.
He said the SBMA law enforcement personnel who refused the bribe and seized the illegal drugs were given “promotions, commendations and monetary rewards."
Edmond Arrugay, PASG-Task Force Subic deputy director, said although they know there is a transfer of money from Binondo to Subic, the PASG was not aware of any bribe.
"An intelligence report revealed that there was P2 million sent by a Binondo money changer to Subic. We have the name of the recipient, but we need to verify it first,” he said.
Arrugay, who was been following the paper trails, vowed that PASG will file case against those involved in illegal drug smuggling.
Senior Superintendent Benjamin Magalong of PDEA assured that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the First Gentleman would not interfere in the case.
He was reacting to a reporter’s question that Ang's eldest daughter is allegedly a goddaughter of the couple.
Arreza said the Customs Immigration Quarantine boarding team failed to inspect the boat which left on May 27 without securing exit clearance from the Bureau of Customs and SBMA. By Robert Gonzaga - Inquirer Central Luzon Desk
Officials of SBMA, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and Philippine Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) said in a press forum that the bribe attempts of Anthony Ang, Chinese suspected to have smuggled 714.66 kilograms of shabu in the freeport, were “coursed through brokers."
SBMA administrator Armand Arreza said Ang’s brokers offered P2 million bribe to SBMA Law Enforcement officials on Tuesday.
They increased the bribe to P50 million when the bribe was denied, according to Arreza.
“Ang’s brokers asked that the cargo be released quietly. They asked not to open the boxes,” Arreza said.
He did not identify the brokers and those who were supposed to receive the bribe pending investigation.
He said they thought that the questionable boxes which were unloaded on Sunday night contained undocumented cigarettes.
He said the K-9 sniffing dogs did not find anything irregular at first since the boxes were tightly wrapped. Ang asked SBMA on Monday to give him 24 hours to produce the documents which he claimed would come from Hong Kong.
But when Ang did not show up the next day, the SBMA opened the boxes.
“If the boxes are caught being shipped out, that’s smuggling. We open the boxes immediately. If these are caught inside the freeport especially if the person involved is a locator, we give him the benefit of the doubt,” he told reporters here.
He said Ang tried to smuggle the illegal drugs early Monday. He called up his driver Rolando Labandelo to take the drugs out from the warehouse while Ang waited at a gasoline station.
Arreza said the SBMA law enforcement personnel held Ang when they saw his Mitsubishi Outlander in a restricted area of the freeport.
He said the SBMA law enforcement personnel who refused the bribe and seized the illegal drugs were given “promotions, commendations and monetary rewards."
Edmond Arrugay, PASG-Task Force Subic deputy director, said although they know there is a transfer of money from Binondo to Subic, the PASG was not aware of any bribe.
"An intelligence report revealed that there was P2 million sent by a Binondo money changer to Subic. We have the name of the recipient, but we need to verify it first,” he said.
Arrugay, who was been following the paper trails, vowed that PASG will file case against those involved in illegal drug smuggling.
Senior Superintendent Benjamin Magalong of PDEA assured that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the First Gentleman would not interfere in the case.
He was reacting to a reporter’s question that Ang's eldest daughter is allegedly a goddaughter of the couple.
Arreza said the Customs Immigration Quarantine boarding team failed to inspect the boat which left on May 27 without securing exit clearance from the Bureau of Customs and SBMA. By Robert Gonzaga - Inquirer Central Luzon Desk
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