PDEA to PASG, NBI, SBMA: Shut up, finish smuggling probe

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has asked officials of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and the National Bureau of Investigation to shut their mouths and finish their investigation first into the smuggling of over 700 kilograms of shabu inside the Subic Bay Freeport last week.

“I’m tired of hearing and reading their statements to the media and I’m asking them to close their mouths and let their investigators finish their job first before making any further media releases. Tama na ang papogi dito,” PDEA chair Senior Undersecretary Dionisio R. Santiago said.

“Imagine, me mga commendation, promotion at monetary rewards daw sa mga involved sa operation pero hindi pa naman tapos ang tunay na imbestigasyon. Papaano kung lumitaw sa final investigation na yung mga kinommend at na-promote sa trabahong ito ay involved pala sa smuggling na ito,” Santiago said.

He called up the Journal Group Friday after hearing reports that officials from SBMA and the PASG disclosed several attempts to bribe SBMA personnel into releasing the drug shipment from Hong Kong.

The bribe attempts of Anthony Ang, the man suspected of smuggling the multi-billion peso worth of drugs, were reportedly coursed through brokers.

“Luma na ang istoryang yan. Ang dapat na gawin dito ay isang silent and thorough investigation na mgreresulta sa pagkakahuli ng lahat ng involved sa smuggling. Hindi yung nakakawala ang big fish. What I want here is for the PDEA, the SBMA, the NBI and the PASG to come up with the true picture behind the smuggling. Yung ma-identify, mahuli at makasuhan ang lahat ng involved dito at mabulok sila sa kulungan,” he said.

Santiago said he will summon some PDEA officials who have been giving statements to the media. He added he has talked with PASG chief Antonio “Bebot” Villar, Jr. and SMBA administrator Armand Arreza regarding the matter.

It was Arreza who claimed that Ang’s brokers offered P2 million to SBMA law enforcement officials which was increased to P50 million when the bribe was rejected.

Arreza did not identify the brokers and the supposed bribe taker. He said the officials initially thought the boxes contained smuggled cigarettes.

Arreza said K-9 sniffers did not detect any drugs inside the tightly-wrapped boxes. He said Ang asked the SBMA officials to give him 24 hours to produce the documents.

The boxes were opened when Ang did not show up the next day, Arreza said.

PASG Task Force Subic deputy director Edmond Arugay, however, said they were unaware of any bribe although they discovered a transfer of money from Binondo, Manila to Subic .

Arugay said they are verifying the recipient of the money transfer.

Ang alias “Walong,” an SBMA locator engaged in warehousing and importation of canned goods, cigar and wines, has been identified as the “brains” behind the smuggling of nearly 760 kilograms of shabu worth P4.560 billion at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. By: Alfred P. Dalizon - Journal online